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Being Vital Facts 

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ISrineraMuttoaEbdttc^:^ 
Be^iiniiers and Breeders, 









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WRITTEN BY 

F. M. and H. A. 

Chandler 

of 

"Clover Hill Farm," 

Chariton, Iowa 



Copyright, 1910 
by Chandler Bros. 




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The Farm and the Flock 

Farmers are working under different conditions than did 
their forefathers — in many instances the soil has been tilled 
until it is weakened. The agricultural population realizes 
more fully than ever before the necessity of restoring strength 
to worn-out farms, also of keeping up even those that are 
the most productive. Farmers do not desire to repeat the past 
folly of continually raising grain and not returning anything 
to the soil but are anxious to learn the best solution of this 
problem. Land is getting higher and higher in price and 
not only are owners of deteriorated farms striving to bring 
theirs up to an average but those who have the most valuable 
and richest farms want some means of maintaining this high 
standard and deriving the necessary profit from a large in- 
vestment. Therefore the main purpose of the farmer is to in- 
crease the productive power of the soil and to raise upon that 
land what will make the largest net returns. As no soil can 
be continually farmed for grain it must be changed to clovers 
and other gra.sses and then comes the question. "AYhat is it 
that will give the best results in increasing soil fertility and 
also the largest profits from grasses, both green and in the 
form of hay?" The fact that many are learning the correct 
answer to this question is one reason why the sheep business 
increa.sing generally. Their droppings are the richest of 
known natural fertilizers and are well scattered over the 
pastures. In addition to this, the i3ock is the greatest of weed 
destroyers and killing .such large quantities of numerous weeds 
preserves in the soil that plant food which the weeds would 
have consumed. So the flock adds strength to the soil in two 
Avays. and the good results from their eating nearly everj^ 
known weed is invariably underestimated. Xo other domestic 
animal will so completely clear the farm, and at the same time 
sheep use weeds as food. Apart from preserving soil fertility, 
the total riddance of weeds adds much to the appearance of 
land. Farmers, as a whole, have partially learned the value 
of a flock in this respect and those who are working to pre- 
serve their farms are not scoffed at as they were a few years 
ago. As more attention is given to the soil, the number of 
flocks will increase. If sheep consumed as much grain and 
hay accordingly as other stock, sold for the same market price, 
and had no wool, flocks would anyway eventually become more 
numerous on our farms in order to obtain the results just men- 
tioned. But our population must be clothed and their average 




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wealth is such that good clothes will be purchased — that 
means large demand for wool and it is in evidence according 
to the high price of wool. The strong continual demand will 
always keep it there, too, just the same as w^heat, corn, etc., 
which the millions of people must have. The wool clip will 
invariably fully pay for the yearly upkeep of the flock, and 
no other domestc animal has a "side product" that will pay its 
yearly board bill. The lamb crop comes in as clear profit and 
is a large return in comparison with the investment. More 
mutton is being consumed per capita and the great increase in 
population has made a noticeable advancement in the demand 
for mutton. The price of lambs on the leading markets during 
recent years has averaged higher than cattle or hogs. Even if 
prices had been equal, lambs would have been the most profit- 
able owing to low cost of production. It has been demon- 
strated that from a given amount of feed lambs will make the 
largest gain, and they are also much easier cared for than 
other stock. Many farmers have been born where cattle, 
hogs, and corn were about all they saw, and truly good 
returns have come from that sort of farming but it cannot 
always be continued. Experienced men say that the profits 
are not nearly so great now as in the past and if it were 
continued without variation the farms would not be as valu- 
able as they might have been. The necessity of a change 
is realized and nothing else fills the place like a flock of 
sheep. Evidence of this comes from the large number of 
flocks which have been founded during recent years on just 
such farms. Years ago the prevalent idea was that sheep were 
only good for rough, brushy land which could not be plowed. 
They did give the largest obtainable returns from such land, 
but now farmers also know that sheep in their place give the 
largest returns from high priced land. Those who realize that 
no land can raise corn for an indefinite period are in a majority 
of cases putting in a flock of sheep. The principal cause of 
less flocks seems to have been because most farmers did not 
grow up where sheep M^ere kept, so that they have never given 
any attention to the true value of a flock." As deeper study 
is given to sheep, the fewer will be the number of farms 
without them. English farmers have long ago learned that 
in order to derive the greatest possible profit from a farm, 
a flock of sheep must be kept upon it. As American land ap- 
proaches the value of theirs, the absolute necessity of soil fer- 
tility comes into prominence, and farmers figure for the last 
dollar that their farms will produce, either directly or indi- 
rectly, then sheep will come into their proper place and there 
will be the right relation between the farm and the flock. 



The Cost ot Producing Mutton 

As farming cannot be successfully continued without occa- 
sional change to grasses for the maintenance of live -stock 
thus fertilizing the soil in different ways and owing to the 
fact that sheep make the best use of all odds and ends about 
the pastures, meadows, rye patches, corn with rape under- 
neath, etc., and are the best of live stock to fertilize by their 
droi)pings, no farm however rich in natural fertility or high 
in price will give largest net returns without a flock of sheep. 
Therefore the question is "What breed of sheep gives the 
largest profits continually?" Shropshires are the most eco- 
nomical producers of mutton, giving higher returns in carcass 
weight for food consumed than any other of the acknowledged 
mutton breeds. Each pound of mutton they produce is worth 
more money than the coarse-grained sort from the extremely 
large mutton breeds. Each year the range in market price is 
getting wider and wider between the compact, firmly and 
evenly-fleshed Shropshire lambs which give quality carcasses 
of handy weights, and the larger rough breeds which give 
less dressed percentage of mutton which is also of much 
lower quality. From a current issue of probably the most 
reliable publication regarding Chicago live-stock markets we 
quote the following: 

"It must not be presumed that all lambs are realizing 
lofty prices. Only high dressers are equal to the perform- 
ance and dressed meat percentages are closely watched. A 
band of shorn lambs costing $8.00 on the hoof actually made 
dearer mutton on the hooks by $1.00 per hundred weight 
than another purchase costing $8.50 alive." 

Buyers for the large killers and packers are now-a-days 
close observers of how every purchase dresses out in quality 
and weight on the hooks. In future years even a closer dis- 
crimination will be made against lambs which do not "kill 
well." Returns are being kept close tab on in order that lambs 
and sheep will be purchased according to their real value — 
no guess-work about it. Notice in the market reports from 
time to time that medium-weight quality lambs bring nearly 
double the price that coarse fellows with poor quality do. 
Wlien you go to the butcher's shop do you want a chunk of 
coarse-grained, fatty nnitton? If so you are one in a thousand 
because the other 999 will want a rich lean piece fine as pos- 
sible in quality. People now-a-days know the difference in 
taste between the two, and place all preference for that which 
is fine in grain. Lowest actual cost of production per pound of 



mutton and the very highest price when sold is certainly mak- 
ing the former indifferent sheep raisers "turn the tables" and 
keep the breed which is really the most profitable when every- 
thing is taken into consideration. Sheep raisers are also par- 
ticularly noticing how much lower the annual cost of main- 
taining a flock of Shropshire breeding ewes is than those of 
any other breed. Not only is it important to have the class of 
lambs which make good gains and command highest price, 
but it is most desirable to materially lower the cost of first 
producing those lambs. Ewes of other breeds require a larger 
amount of green food and some grain in addition while Shrop- 
shire ewes will be nursing fat lambs and in perfect condition 
on a rougher, poorer pasture and without grain. Many times 
at the same season of the year have the writers visited breed- 
ing flocks of the Shropshire and various other breeds in differ- 
ent sections of both America and England and noticed the 
conditions exactly as stated above. Shropshires are easiest 
to keep in thrifty condition and ofttimes at practically half 
the cost of the upkeep of flocks of other breeds. Shropshires are 
naturally good feeders and exceptionally strong in constitu- 
tion, having the inherent robustness of their origin from the 
hill breeds of the English county from whence the Shropshire 
breed takes its name. Strength of constitution is a prime 
requisite in all breeding or feeding sheep. In the life of 
animals things come up as various sorts of trouble and hard- 
ship which must be withstood by the animal system, the weak 
constituted ones suffering to a greater or less extent under 
these conditions but those with strong constitutions ward off 
the trouble and are hale and hearty. The strong-constituted 
sheep possesses the highest degree of digestive and assimilative 
power and even under unfavorable conditions makes most 
thorough use of all its food. Shropshire fleeces have the great- 
est density and length combined thus giving heavy weights 
and complete protection, altogether making what might well 
be termed the unequalled general-purpose sheep for the farmer 
and breeder. The Shropshire fleece is a perfect covering all 
over and under the body and is bred that way not only for 
increased weight of wool but for absolute protection from 
damp, cold weather and storms. The general farmer needs such 
a breed which will not be soaked to the skin when there is rain 
or blowing snow. The dense Shropshire fleece together with 
their strong constitution insures health and vigor under all 
conditions and in varying climates. These characteristics by 
keeping up the highest degree of thrift aid the sheep in mak- 
ing largest gains thereby lowering the cost of Shropshire 
mutton production. On the average farm wherever located 
the Shopshire will give best possible results in the economical 
production of highest-class mutton. 







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Selecting Flock Headers for Grade Flocks 

Careful methods of breeding have placed the Shropshire 
breed of sheep in its present possession of desirable qualities. 
The greatest profits come to the best breeders. The common 
class of lambs does not attract the same number of purchasers 
as the better lot, even though the price asked for the former 
is much lower. This superiority can be attained only by 
proper methods of breeding. Although the ewe portion of 
the flock plays a very important part in breeding, the greatest, 
cheapest and quickest results can be obtained by using the 
highest class of registered rams. The ram makes a mark on 
every lamb while the ewe affects but one or two, as the case 
may be. 

Before commencing your look for a flock-header, get it 
thoroughly into your mind just the sort that will do your flock 
the most good, and after that do not stop until you get him. 
If you have a grade flock and are producing lambs for market 
purposes, remember that the strong-eonstitutioned thick-fleshed 
fellows top the market, and your bunch of lambs must be 
uniform in size, type, and density of wool to present the 
desired appearance in the sale pen. Constitution is a prime 
requisite in sheep, whether they are for the breeding pen, 
feed lot, or showyard. The extended nostril, strong short neck, 
wide deep chest, and well-sprung rib all indicate that the heart, 
lungs and digestive organs have plenty of room in which to do 
their proper and required work. 

Get a strong-eonstitutioned ram, correct in mutton con- 
formation, with a dense clear fleece, and all the size possible. 
The bigger the sheep the better so long as he has good quality 
of flesh. There is a "happy medium" which combines much 
size with quality — that is the right sort. It doesn't pay to 
raise coarse poor feeders or those that fatten in patches, 
because the market doesn't want that sort, but it never pays 
to raise little bits of things either. Breed for all the size you 
can possibly combine with quality. The butcher wants the 
lamb which will dress out the largest percentage of natural 
flesh in the most valuable cuts, the back and hind-quarters, and 
you need not think that a bunch of bare-backed, narrow hind- 
ended lambs would go through any leading market at the same 
price that the straight-backed wide thickly fleshed sort would. 

AVhen purchasing rams remember that in addition to being 
the hardiest finest qualified mutton breed for the farmer Shrop- 
shires are the heaviest shearers of the Down mutton breeds. 



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The dense Shropshire tieece adds to the general thrift of the 
tlock by alfording natural complete protection from bad 
weather and also greatly increases the annual income. From 
old Shropshire flocks which have been bred for heavy fleeces, 
rams can be obtained which shear 15 lbs. and upAvards of clear 
white dense wool. To make the largest returns from the Hock 
investment no ram should be used which shears less than 15 
lbs. per clip. A large income can be obtained from the wool 
by careful breeding and not sacrifice anything in mutton con- 
formation. 

Decided masculinity is rec[uired in the ram, this being in- 
dicated by general burliness of the head, thickness of the neck, 
and general massiveness with a bold assertive appearance. A 
ram with a narrow nose and head, a long slim neck, and lack- 
ing in vigor, rarely if ever, was knowai to be an impressive sire. 
If you are accustomed to purchasing a ram of the medium 
class, the additional $5 required for the purchase of a superior 
one may seem to be quite a large sum, but a small investment 
in this way nearly always results in a much larger future in- 
come from the flock. Those who have used good rams never 
turn back to using the more common class, and if you get a 
better ram this year than ever before, your flock will commence 
to make larger and better returns and make breeding more in- 
teresting. 

Best value in sires is obtained by purchasing from the 
oldest reputable flock. By introducing such individuality and 
breeding which has taken the ram breeder a life-time to pro- 
duce, you are at a comparatively small cost raising your flock 
to a high standard. Carefully bred rams from a good old flock 
are, by reason of the superiority of ancestors, reliable sires 
which will most strongly impress their good qualities upon the 
offspring. One of the most profitable results coming from the 
use of such rams on grade flocks is that the lamb crop is so 
uniform in type, markings, conformation of body, and density 
of fleece. Big rams from a flock which has long been bred 
for size will sire a most uniform lot of large individual lambs. 
There is great difference between the breeding results from a 
ram obtained from a really superior flock and another obtained 
from a more common registered flock. The broad-minded suc- 
cessful breeder is also a better man to do business with and 
experience has taught him how to meet customers on a fair 
basis. It is great satisfaction to have relation with breeders 
whom you know can be depended upon. Their sheep are the 
highest class, pedigrees correct, prices in accordance with 
actual value, and all dealings are handled in a business-like 
manner. 

(Read in this connection the fifth article in the book after 
this one.) 

11 



Advancement in American Pure-Bred 
Shropshire Flocks 

The improvement made in American pure-bred flocks dur- 
ing recent years has been great, and the industry possesses 
very marked stability. There are many causes leading up 
to this, among the most important being the spreading out 
in production of mutton sheep, thereby causing competition 
and creating a demand for high-class pure-bred sires. Some 
years ago there was not such close discrimination in market 
centers against the common lamb as there is today, nor was 
such a premium paid for the really good ones. General farmers 
and ranchmen have learned that sheep are a valuable asset 
to their possessions, and are now making a study and business 
of mutton production, where it formerly was thought of 
lightly. There is a consumer's demand for mutton far greater 
than that of the past, and these facts make the sheep industry 
one which is recognized by all who are interested in the pro- 
duction of live stock. 

Competition on the markets has assisted in making the 
wide variance in price between "choice" and "common" lambs. 
Those men who have marketed a few bunches of lambs have 
had this difference in price deeply stamped upon their minds, 
and are now striving to produce the sort that will top the 
market. To bring on this better class of mutton the producer 
has not only had to feed well, but also improve his methods of 
breeding. He has purchased a good class of registered rams 
that have sired a more uniform lot of thick-fleshed lambs than 
were formerly reared. Mutton producers have learned of the 
profits to be derived therefrom, and profits are what are worked 
for. The demand for such rams has taught pure-bred breeders 
that it is now the best or none, and the ordinary rams will not 
sell at any price. Some of America's best pure-bred breeders 
are also to be congratulated on their efforts to help bring about 
this condition, because by their sending out none other than 
strictly first-class sires they have been of great assistance in 
convincing the mutton producer that the best rams give the 
greatest net profits. 

The market's paying a premium for top lambs, the few 
veteran breeders sending out none but high-class sires, and 
the good results which the mutton-producer has really ex- 
perienced from the use of such are all factors in the expansion 
of breeding pure-bred sheep. The past has given experience 
to the mutton-producer that the use of good sires is profitable, 

12 



and to the ram breeder that he cannot sell the common class 
of males. Discrimination on the market against cull lambs 
makes the producer as a ram buyer discriminate against culls — 
and it is a good thing. The day of the grade ram is of the 
past, and the use of low-class registered rams is going rapidly 
in the same direction — our wish being that it may gain in- 
creased rapidity. 

The careless breeder of pure-breds must change his ways 
or suffer loss, the same as the producer of the common sort 
of mutton lambs which are a drug on any market. These facts 
have been so thoroughly demonstrated that a great change has 
taken and is taking place. The aim of a vast majority of 
pure-bred breeders is to produce the very best that is possible. 
Especially within the last 20 years have importations of select 
breeding material been made from England, and it has given 
the breeders a solid foundation to Avork on and enabled us 
to make much more rapid advancement than would have other- 
wise been possible. Breeders are producing such excellent 
specimens of the Shropshire breed that it is none but Great 
Britain's very tops that will excel ours. This should be a 
stimulant and a matter of great satisfaction to our breeders, 
and we believe it is. 

The competition among pure-bred flocks is keen, and a ma- 
jority are striving to see who can make the greatest possible 
improvement. This enables most mutton-producers to obtain 
the desired quality in sires, thereby raising the general stand- 
ard of the sheep industry. Yet there are a number of grade and 
range flocks upon which a common class of rams is used, but 
a study of the matter reveals the fact that in most cases it is 
because the OAvners are unable to obtain the class of rams they 
really want. The pure-bred business is at a high state of per- 
fection in many sections of America, but it needs general ex- 
pansion by having more energetic breeders in new territory. 
More breeders who have grade flocks should purchase a select 
little foundation of pure-breds, and by gradually working into 
the business in that way they Avill derive great personal benefit 
and help increase the quality of the nation's sheep industry. 

A visitor in the sheep pens at any of the state fairs 
will be favorably impressed Avith the excellence Avhich pure- 
bred Shropshire's possess, and this will be even increased 
in the future. The market requirements will be for better 
lambs, the producer will purchase none but first-class rams, 
and the pure-bred breeder must have the best in the land. 
These facts demonstrate the great advancement in the sheep 
industry, and point to the requirement of pure-bred breeders 
that they exercise the best possible judgment in improving the 
nation's flocks. 







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Favorable Points of the Pure-Bred 
Shropshire 

Size — When it eonies to getting the greatest size and 
highest quality combined, the Shropshire stands in a class of 
its own. At "Clover Hill Farm" we have had rams weigh 
up to 325 lbs., shear 22 lbs., and possess all the quality of the 
small mutton breeds. 

Constitution — Shropshires are naturally strong in consti- 
tution, having the inherent robustness of their origin from the 
Hill breeds. Shropshires have thrived exceptionally well in 
nearly all parts of the world through extremes of wet. dry, 
heat anci cold, on high and Ioav land. 

Ewes Good Mothers — Under ordinary conditions Shrop- 
shires will raise a larger number of desirable lambs than any 
other breed. In one instance lately we saw a Shropshire ewe 
with 4 big, strong lambs which she had given birth to 6 weeks 
previous. Shropshire ewes are excellent nurses and lambs are 
born strong. Usually at least half of the ewes drop twins. 

Wool — Shropshires are covered all over and under the 
body with a heavy, dense fleece of good length, insuring abso- 
lute protection from storms and w^eighing a usual average of 
from 9 to 15 lbs., which brings very top market price, owing 
to quality and strength. 

Mutton — Shropshires are compact, even and firm fleshed 
and give the highest dressed percentage of quality carcasses 
of lean, juicy meat, thus bringing extreme top price. The 
quality of Shropshire mutton has been a main factor in raising 
American mutton trade to its high standard by offering a 
better product to the consumer. 

Cost of Production and Early Maturity — Shropshire 
breeding flocks are easiest to keep in thrifty condition and 
the breed stands out pre-eminent as economical producers of 
mutton par excellence. Shropshires being naturally strong- 
constitutioned possess the highest degree of digestive and 
assimilative power, thus making most thorough use of all 
their food. With these inherent qualities, together with ex- 
treme quality and classy character, Shropshire lambs are ready 
for market at an early age. 

Impressive Sires — A superior feature of the pure Shrop- 
shire ram is that he transmits these good qualities in a marked 
degree to his offspring. Shropshire rams can be depended 
upon to get the most profitable class of lambs when used on 
grade or ewes of other breeds. The large size, strength of 
constitution, conformation, quality of uuitton, black face, and 
attractive general character being exclusive Shropshire charac- 
teristics are always transmitted to cross-breds. Altogether the 
Shropshire is an unequalled general-purpose sheep for the 
farmer and breeder. 

15 



One Breed and One Only 



In order to achieve full success in any business a man 
must specialize to concentrate his thoughts and efforts upon 
one thing. If there are two or three subjects which demand 
attention, he is weakened in all of them and as the world to- 
day demands tirst-class services a person must do one thing 
and do it well. By not spreading out, your whole time will 
then be devoted to one thing and your knowledge of that 
subject becomes superior and you can give customers the best 
possible service. Even more than in a commercial business 
do these facts apply to the sheep breeder. The commercial 
man purchases his wares of a certain quality and although 
placed on the shelves they will keep up to that standard. All 
he has to do is to sell them. The sheep breeder after getting 
his foundation flock, has a continual study of how he can make 
improvement by proper mating and by good feeding also assist 
Nature in the full development of the lambs. Sheep which 
the pure-bred breeder produces are not eaten for food but are 
offered for the sole purpose of improving other flocks. The 
breeder in looking to the future readily realizes that not only 
must the sheep he sells appear well at the time of sale but 
they must possess such breeding and have been reared so they 
will give the purchaser uniformly desirable results. There- 
fore the study and management being required to bring one 
breed of sheep to success for you is much greater than is re- 
quired from the commercial man to succeed with one line of 
goods. But the most successful of them are those that have 
"specialized" and the most successful sheepmen of the world 
are those who stick to one breed, and one only. The quality of 
sheep sent out and general services given are what gain reputa- 
tion. The good reputation is a result of having given to your 
customers the kind of treatment that profited them. After 
you have selected the one breed of sheep that you like, study 
and work to make the greatest success attainable so in time 
the sheepmen all over the continent will have learned that for 
that one particular breed you can give them better services 
than can be obtained elsewhere and that sheep from your flock 
give the best possible results as breeders. You are then gain- 
ing success in its strictest meaning. Is it real success or can 
satisfaction be derived from breeding two, three, or more 
different breeds and just making a sale wherever you get a 
chance ? 

16 



Then the old saying will come up, "Jack of all trades and 
Master of none." Could you, in that position, give customers 
for different breeds as good service or as reliable sheep for 
the breeding Hock as you could have given with but one breed? 
The only answer is "NO." A review of the past and pres- 
ent sheep business verifies such a universal answer, too, be- 
cause, as a rule, those who have attempted to branch out 
and produce more than one breed have not given service which 
is up to the ideal of the best sheepmen. The pure-bred breeder 
with one breed is filled with spirit and desires to only send out 
such specimens as will be a credit to the breed and his flock, 
^lake your motto. "One breed and one only — Success with 
that." In the end the financial returns will be greater, you 
will have the full satisfaction of being a first-class breeder of a 
superior flock, and will be considered a solid rock in the 
foundation for an improved sheep industry. The country 
wants more breeders who produce superior sheep that when 
sold will continue to make improvement. At first glance it may 
seem that larger yearly profits would come if you had more 
than one breed, but the best way to judge such things is by the 
past. Such a view would reveal the fact that almost invariably 
the men who have attained full success, both financially and in 
the minds of their fellow breeders, have been those who have 
centered all their efforts upon one breed of sheep, cattle, 
horses, or what it may have been. If to some extent you want 
to guide your plans according to the experience of a majority 
of the best sheepmen, you certainly will never have more than 
one breed. That undescribable friendly feeling and united 
purpose which exist among breeders of all good breeds seem 
to be barred out and lost when two or three breeds place you 
in the "miscellaneous" class, and really you yourself hardly 
know what your purpose is. Your financial success in pure- 
bred sheep breeding will in the end be great just according 
to how much better your sheep have been than those sent out 
by others engaged in the same business. If your study is 
divided into two or three parts, does not that, first of all, 
weaken your ability to produce sheep of high type? Once that 
is decided there is no comparison in the remaining details be- 
cause the successful breeder and advancer of one breed has a 
distinct satisfaction that no other class of breeders can enjoy. 
So it all sums down to what your real desire is. If you have no 
definite pui^pose, are not deeply interested in the advancement 
of the sheep industry, and do not value friendly relation with 
the best stockman of the nation, you may attain a so-called 
success producing several breeds, but if the opposite is your 
purpose and your desire is to be really successful as a pure- 
bred breeder, our suggestion would be "One breed and one 
only." 

17 



Founding a Pure-Bred Flock 



When founding a pure-bred flock the main thing to con- 
sider is how to prepare to get the largest possible profits after 
you have been breeding. Sales from the flock will be to other 
breeders and farmers, therefore the important part is to pro- 
duce that class of individuals and the breed for which there is 
widest and greatest demand. By studying your surrounding 
conditions, reading about and observing the experience of 
others with different breeds, and noticing the exhibits at lead- 
ing fairs, you will readily see that the Shropshire is the uni- 
versal breed. Its high position has been won by real merit and 
the good results it has given under all conditions. The Shrop- 
shire is the breed with which you can do the largest and most 
profitable business. However, there are many Shropshire flocks 
and the demand for really superior individuals is growing 
stronger and stronger, while there is a comparatively smaller 
demand for medium or low-class registered sheep. Those con- 
ditions point to the important fact that the wisest plan in 
founding a flock is to get such superior individuals that they 
will be far and away above the average and be admired by all 
who see them. Size is desirable and the more size you are able 
to obtain in the individuals of your foundation flock the bet- 
ter it will be for you. The way to raise big ones is to get big 
ewes — do not let anyone tell you that little ewes as a class will 
raise big lambs. For years the writers have bred for size, and 
the use of big ewes — not little ones — has brought us success. 
Purchasers, generally, demand the big ones and that fact is one 
to always keep fresh in your mind. If people like your founda- 
tion flock they will come to you in the future for rams. There 
are a few old reputable breeders who have always bred for 
size with quality, and ewes from one of those flocks would 
breed size for you. Steer shy of the many flocks which have 
been bred for quality, and quality only. It is sound policy to 
obtain top ewes from the most reputable flock possible — then 
your future flock will be larger and better and you will have 
greater demand. If your foundation comes from a rather ordi- 
nary flock what you would soon offer would not be any better 
than the average pure-bred. The object in view must be to 
raise superior sheep — superior because larger, stronger consti- 
tutioned, heavier fleeced, more correct in mutton conformation, 
and nearest to perfect Shropshire type. The good ones will 
always sell. Lay the foundation for your flock in such a man- 




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ner that you will produce very few common ones. Observation 
and experience teach us that the first thing for a beginner to do 
is to build up a ewe flock of unquestionable merit for both in- 
dividuality and breeding. 

Get thoroughly fixed in your mind the characteristics of a 
large good mutton sheep, also true Shropshire type, then you 
are ready to visit some old-established reputable fiock. The 
best breeders will be only too pleased to show you through the 
whole fiock at any time and answer any questions you may wish 
to ask. Purchases from such an old flock will give better results 
than if you were to buy a few at different places and finish 
with a lot presenting three or four different types. 

The general make-up of a sheep cannot be studied too 
closely, and it is well to have a system in your examination, 
because when purchasing a foundation flock you should care- 
fully examine each individual rather than giving a simple 
glance over the bunch. Commence examination at the nostrils, 
which should be well extended. Nose, face, and whole head 
should be short and broad, neck short thick firm and 
smoothly blended to shoulder. With your fingers together the 
back can be examined for both straightness and covering of 
natural flesh. It should be straight from top of shoulder to 
loin and with as little droop as ])ossible on to the tail-head. 
By natural flesh we mean the covering of lean meat on the 
bones. A well-covered back is firm and does not feel bare to 
the touch. 

The loin should be wide and thick, the tail-head wide 
and well set up. A sheep's hind-end should be like two pears 
placed side by side because in that case there would be so 
much meat between a sheep's hind legs that they would have 
to be wide apart and the outside flesh covering would also be 
very good. It is well then to handle the back a second time 
because the sheep may be standing in a different position. Also 
notice the spring of rib because when the ribs come immediate- 
ly and well out from back-bone it increases the width of back 
and gives more room for the internal organs. Then examine 
to find the depth and width of chest because a wide deep 
chest strengthens constitution by giving ample room for the 
heart, digestive organs, etc., to properly do their required 
work. To give good results either in the breeding pen or 
feed lot a sheep nuist have strong constitution, and narrow- 
chested, straight-ribbed sheep rarely, if ever, prove profit- 
able. Straight strong legs are a necessity under breeding sheep 
and the pasterns must be strong and although this is more im- 
portant with rams it affects ewes to the extent that they may 
drop rams for breeding purposes. When the sheep has been 
examined for mutton form, constitution, legs and feet, the 
fleece should be carefully looked through. A Shropshire fleece 



21 



is fine in texture, dense, bright, of good length, and with a 
uniform close crimp. 

There should be a dense wool covering on the belly and in- 
side the legs as well as on the body because this not only in- 
creases weight of fleece but it is protection from all troubles 
due to lying on wet ground. There should be no dark fibre in 
the fleece and as little as possible on top of head. Wooling 
should extend well down on legs, and in ewes strict femininity 
must be sought for. 

It is well to place much stress upon the breeding and the 
advantages obtained by going to an old flock when making pur- 
chases. Pedigree is simply the record of an animal's ancestors, 
and a sheep whose sire, dam, grandsire, granddam, great grand- 
sire, great granddam, etc., have been noted sheep with excep- 
tional merit, will surely give better results in the breeding flock 
than one whose ancestors have been practically unheard of or 
unknown altogether. Successful breeding of livestock is a life 
work and the foundation must be laid slowly and well. By 
founding a flock with judicious selections from the best breed- 
er the greatest factor is achieved — a sure and certain basis 
upon which to build up a flock of the highest class. Many 
breeders have never been able to eliminate the results of a bad 
start with the ewe foundation, despite the fact that they have 
used high-class rams for many years. 

The right sort must be selected, even if an apparently high 
price has to be paid. We say apparently because the best speci- 
mens of the breed rarel,y prove to be dear in the long run 
while second-rate ewes are not cheap at any price and may 
be a constant source of disappointment. After having obtained 
the desired ewes, the first few years should be spent in improv- 
ing the ewe flock. 

To simply show the efforts that the writers have put forth 
to strengthen our own flocks and offer some to our customers 
from the most reputable English flocks we wish to here give a 
copy of the official report of the number of Shropshires ex- 
ported from Great Britain : 

\ 190S 1907 1906 1905 1904 1903 1902 1901 1900 1899 1898 
North America (U. ' 

S. A., Canada &(1774 1427 1057 253 217 65 424 364 481 677 314 
Newfoundland . . ' 

South America 205 569 657 497 275 288 48 104 205 282 438 

Australasia 11 212 82 153 66 331 132 228 60 41 46 

South Africa 21 45 52 54 27 46 5 29 — 76 132 

Russia, Germany, 

Spain, Sweden, 35 61 54 75 118 58 84 265 118 10 62 
etc 

Totals 2046 2314 1902 1032 703 788 693 990 864 1086 992 



23 




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Of this 1774 Shropshires to the North American Continent 
in the year 1908, 1,117 head went to Chandler Bros., "Clover 
Hill 'Farm," Chariton, Iowa; 218 head to various points in 
Wisconsin, 121 to Canada, 106 to New York, 95 to Minnesota, 
and the remaining 117 head to various places. Cornbelt sheep- 
men can be especially proud of the above official report be- 
cause, as is noticed, Iowa took more English Shropshires than 
all the rest of the world. 



Selection of Sires 



The ram is head of the tloek and many call him more than 
half of it. In the ram, a breeder should get a noble specimen 
of what to his judgment is as near an ideal Shropshire as can 
possibly be obtained. Some say to select a ram strong where 
the ewes are weak — that sounds alright but you could continue 
such a practice your lifetime and still be see-sawing back and 
forth. One lamb would have the faults of the sire and another 
the faults of the dam. You are willing to pay a long price for 
a ram because you want him to stamp your ideal in the flock — 
so be sure the ram is right in every particular. After your 
foundation ewe flock has been carefully selected look to the 
ram for the rest. If the ram is near your ideal his lambs will 
be much like him, then get the next ram again as near your 
ideal as possible and keep right on that way — soon your flock 
would be pleasing you. If it were possible to get rams always 
just as we want them we would never look back at the ewe 
flock but would know that using good sire after good sire 
would bring the flock around absolutely right. But sometimes 
we have to do with some little fault in the ram so it is well 
to have a thorough knowledge of the ewe flock. But our 
suggestion would be never to sacrifice anything in the ram 
if you can avoid it. In no case let fashion lead you to forget 
that the ultimate object in breeding sheep is to produce mutton 
and wool at a minimum cost and with quality that will sell 
readily at top prices. When choosing a ram secure one with 
lots of size and decided masculine character, heavy bone and 
a bold wide walk, vigorous robust constitution, full chest de- 
velopment and well sprung ribs, wide loin, straight strong back 
and well filled hind-end, a broad wide head — the kind that 
anyone could tell was the head of the flock. We want a ram 
to be a ram all over and all the time. We use big rams to get 

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big lambs, and heavy shearing rams to get good fleeced lambs. 
Some say "use a little ram" — we never chanced it but once 
and we got little lambs that never did grow big. No one ever 
made gold from brass and we do not believe that anyone can 
ever get rams which will mature at 200 to 250 lbs. in breeding 
condition from a small ram. We would not recommend such 
practice although it might be possible — we would not chance 
it again. If you can get a really good ram which is a big 
fellow and from big sire and dam, he is worth a whole bunch 
of the little good ones, and if his lambs shear 12 to 15 lbs. of 
clear white dense wool it will bring you more money than if 
there was only 8 or 10 lbs. of it. Get the ram good and then 
as big as possible. Go to an old reputable flock that raises 
the big ones that are good. Be very careful about the breed- 
ing of the sire you purchase — do not let some unreputable 
breeder even give you one — and in this case understand the 
word ' ' reputable " in a very strict meaning. Upon your fingers 
count the top breeders from whose flocks a ram would be 
reliable for the very best results, then select from those breeders 
what you can count possibly on the fingers of one hand and 
you would be getting down ready for business. When you get 
to breeding good ones there are very few places you can get the 
ram you really want. Pick out the one flock which you think 
is best of all — go and see the whole flock and if that breeder 
has not your ideal try the second best flock. The success of 
your flock depends largely upon the ram you put at the head 
of it, so "be sure you are right, then go ahead." 



27 



Influence ot the Ram on Prolificac 



y 



The question of the relative intluenee of the ram and ewe 
on prolificacy has been much debated, and rightly so. because 
it is a matter of great interest in breeding. There are two prin- 
cipal questions in this connection ; one being as to whether the 
ram can create increased prolificacy in the ewe as the outcome 
of a single mating; the other being as to whether the male can 
transmit an increased tendency in the female progeny to the 
same because of inheritance. In the controversy some have 
claimed, and believe, that the ram exercises no influence on 
prolificacy, while others say that the ram does exercise an in- 
fluence which is far-reaching. Some breeders go so far as to say 
that the influence thus exerted is as great as that exerted by 
the ewe, but a majority concede that the ram's influence is at 
least less than the ewe's. 

Let us first endeavor to determine whether the ram does 
influence prolificacy in procreation ; and. second, what is the 
relative strength of the influence compared with that of the 
ewe. With quadruped females capable of producing more than 
one at birth, and which may produce one, two, or three as the 
case may be, the different results are the outcome of some in- 
fluence exerted on procreation in the dam rather than the re- 
sult of chance. In the case of sheep, it is evident that such 
influence comes entirely from the dam or entirely from the 
ram, or from both, or it comes from one or more of the sources 
named, aided by external conditions such as food and environ- 
ment. The ewe capable of bearing twins does not always pro- 
duce twins, and why should there be such variation. That the 
ewe does exert an important influence on prolificacy is uni- 
versally conceded, for while some ewes produce only one lamb 
at birth, others produce two, though mated to the same ram 
for successive years. It may be asked, then, does not this prove 
that the ram does not influence prolificacy? We answer no. The 
most that it can prove is that the ram does not exercise as 
much influence on prolificacy as the ewe, because the same ram 
mated with other ewes will in some instances result in but one 
at birth and in other instances in twins, which at least makes 
it possible that the ram does exert an influence on prolificacy. 

It has been noticed that when but one ram is used in a 
flock, the proportion of twins from the earlier births is greater 
than from those later. From this it has been argued that this 
result follows from the greater vigor possessed by the ram. 
But if vigor in the ram influences prolificacy then, by parity 



of reasoning, it does in the ewe, hence it is conceivable the 
result stated may come partly, or chiefly, or even wholly from 
the ewe, as the more vigorous among the ewes come first in 
heat. But it is almost certain that some of the influence result- 
ing in plural births comes from the ram, as, if the said ram, 
enfeebled by excess of service, was then turned in to mate with 
ewes of another flock, equal in prolificacy and vigor to the 
former, it is almost certain that a less proportion of twins 
would be produced in the earlier births. 

From the facts stated, therefore, it would be correct to 
say that it is extremely probable that the male does exercise 
an influence on prolificacy. But thus far, only vigor has been 
recognized as the source of such increased prolificacy. To this 
may be added judicious feeding. The ewe pastured on rape or 
second growth clover for some time before mating will be more 
prolific than the ewe confined on dry prairie grasses. It is 
taken for granted, then, that vigor and food do exercise an 
influence on prolificacy, and it is almost certain that these in- 
fluences are so operative through the male as well as through 
the female. Once grant that the ram does exert such influence 
as the outcome of judicious feeding, and it is then not difficult 
to show that this influence on the part of the male will be 
strengthened or weakened, as the case may be, by inheritance. 
Some persons claim that the ewe influences only certain parts 
of the organization and that transmission in the ram influences 
certain other parts. 

That we do not exactly believe. It has never been proved 
and until it is, the conclusion is justifiable that the influence 
of both parents extends to every feature of the organization, 
nicluding breeding tendencies, not necessarily in equal degrees 
nor always in the same degree. Then it follows that the power 
to transmit tendencies to prolificacy, or the opposite, inheres 
in both male and female as the result of inheritance. No one 
will doubt this in the case of the female, but many do doubt it 
in the case of the male. If it is true that the ram does exert 
influence on every part of the organization, including capabili- 
ties in the line of performance as well as physical features, it 
remains a fact that the ram, as a result of inheritance, does 
transmit tendencies to increased prolificacy, the influences that 
govern reproduction being so affected by the degree of this 
inheritance, but this may to some extent be modified by the 
influences of quality in foods and by vigor inherited or ac- 
quired. To increase prolificacy in ewes, therefore, it would be 
in order to choose rams from ancestry that have produced 
twins for generations previously. 

From what has been said, it will be obvious that though 
rams should have the power to transmit tendencies to prolifica- 
cies as well as to beget prolificacy in the female, it will be im- 



possible to determine the degree of the influence which they 
will thus exert, absolutely or relatively, since, as previously 
intimated, it will be a varying quantity because of the influence 
from the various sources mentioned, but it is to be expected 
that the influence on increased prolificacy will be greatest when 
the influence exerted by the male and female operate in con- 
junction rather than in opposition. In other words, when both 
ram and ewe come of ancestry noted for prolificacy, than when 
such inheritance belongs only to one parent. When making 
purchases or selecting from your young stock for your breed- 
ing flock, it is well to keep these facts in mind and select those 
from twin-producing families. Then by judicious feeding, a 
large percentage of the flock can be caused to produce twins, 
and that is very desirable. 



Value of United Effort 



United effort among sheepmen is not usually valued as 
highly as it should be, and breeders on the whole would re- 
ceive much greater returns from their flocks if such were not 
the case. No one, regardless of how high-class his flock may 
be, can achieve as great success alone as he can by working 
together with neighbor breeders. AVe do not mean that they 
should be partners from a financial standpoint, but all should 
be partners in helping advance each others' flocks and the in- 
dustry in general. There must be no such thing as jealousy, 
in fact, quite the opposite should be the case. Breeders should 
rejoice in the success of their friends, and apart from that 
right feeling, anyone's success helps all others who are en- 
gaged in the same business. By free conversation over all 
matters pertaining to the flock, neighbors of different vicini- 
ties can get greater results. The old saying ' ' In unity there is 
strength" applies to the sheep industry the same as to others. 
Especially should producers of the same breed work harmo- 
moniously together to advance their cause for the good of all. 
How great would any certain breed become if all the sheep 
breeders in the world united for it? The good results would 
nearly be beyond our imagination, but even in some of our 
present single breeds we believe there could be improvement in 
unity of breeders which would be as great in comparison with 
existing conditions. Some good breeds of live-stock have al- 
most been crushed out of existence by the fact that many of 
the breeders took an "independent" standing, while closely 

30 



united efforts of all have championed many others. It seems 
to us that this unity of effort among sheepmen should be im- 
proved as much as the flocks, and the results from such action 
are surely so promising that no one should refuse to do their 
part. Not only does the complete unity make a breed more 
famous but when breeders of a certain vicinity work together 
they create a reputation for themselves. The true breeder is 
he who is glad to lend every possible assistance to beginners 
and the latter are indeed very fortunate when they have such 
help and advice. There are so many things that two or three 
sheepmen can do that one alone sometimes hardly cares to, and 
among these perhaps the most important is the purchase of a 
sire which really meets their ideal and needs of the flock. Es- 
pecially is this true with pure-bred breeders who have advanced 
their flocks to a high standard, because the class of rams to 
then meet the requirements are very scarce and hard to ob- 
tain. The ram may be found and while one breeder would feel 
hardly able to make the purchase he would gladly do so in 
partnership with a neighbor. Some of the best sires in the 
Avorld have been purchased in this manner and have made 
great improvement in two or more flocks at a minimum cost to 
the owners. Even in the purchase of foundation ewes, it is oft- 
times the case that one farmer hardly wants a large enough 
number to make him feel justified in going to the expense of 
visiting a leading and reputable flock and shipping home his 
rather limited purchase, while if his neighbor also wanted an 
equal number, one of them could make the trip and general 
expense would be cut in two. That is where unity helps many 
who otherwise would not venture in the beginning. Even 
when producing sheep for mutton market, farmers are just as 
well repaid for working together. In buying their rams at once 
they get lowest price, but one of the greatest advantages for 
the farmers who have a small number of sheep is that they 
can unite for a car-load when shipping lambs and thereby get 
largest income from the flock. Wool can be put together to at- 
tract best buyers, and in all respects it pays to unite. Ex- 
changing ideas with each other for united effort along the 
same line will enable breeders of vicinities and nations to 
achieve success which otherwise is impossible. 



31 




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Explanation 



Some photos in this book were used before we obtained 
copyrights from the United States Government and we 
learn that they have been copied by other sheepmen to use 
on letter-heads, envelopes, etc. ; therefore, all photos re- 
cently taken have CHANDLER worded across them, 
and we have also obtained full copyright for protection so 
infringers can be prosecuted. Many years of hard work 
and careful breeding are required to produce such supe- 
rior Shropshires and the photos of the individuals which 
are the result of our work should not be used by others — 
it would be injustice to us and misleading to the public. 



Another way that breeders of inferior or medium-quality 
pure-bred flocks try to mislead those interested in Shrop- 
shires is by saying ''won all prizes shown for," meaning 
to convey that the flock has been winning at State or Na- 
tional Fairs, while in reality they were shown at some 
little County Fair with little or no competition. Other 
breeders further along will win flock or some prize in re- 
stricted classes at a State Fair and say ''First Prize Flock 

at State Fair," thus intending to lead breeders to 

believe that they won Champion Flock over all competi- 
tors. Even some big exhibitors having two, three or more 
breeds, one being the Shropshire, will say "won more 
prizes than all competitors," but the actual facts probably 
are that there was very little competition in the other 
breeds and in Shropshire Open Classes they won very 
little. Some breeders would go a long way to turn a 
round corner rather than turn a square one. People inter- 
ested in Shropshire facts, and especially intending pur- 
chasers, should closely study the different flocks. 

Every prize mentioned under photos of sheep in this book 
were won in "open to the world" competition unless 
stated otherwise. 

33 



Little Facts for Both Beginners 
and Breeders 

Energy is what wins. 

Size with quality is the best policy. 

Aim high for a definite object. 

Success does not come, you have to go after it. 

Superiority in both type and individuality of your flock 
is the best trade-mark. 

A clean record is the greatest kind of success. 

The period of gestation in sheep ranges usually from 21 
weeks and 5 days to 22 weeks. 

Most of the things that breeders attribute to misfortune 
are due to ignorance. 

It is a disgrace not to do one's level best to succeed. 

Any breed is worth caring for well, but some give larger 
returns than others. 

First-class sheep do not come from any but first-class firms. 

Intense earnestness, perseverance, and familiarity with 
the minutest details of the sheep industry are the chief ele- 
ments of success. 

Placing grain in "self-feeders" is far from being the most 
economical method of feeding. 

To please just one customer will give you an opportunity 
to please his friends and acquaintances. 

Wisdom consists of doing the things it would be foolish 
not to do. Every farmer is wise in raising sheep, and good 
ones, too. 

Plan your work, then work your plan. The breeder who 
doesn't will never reach a high standing. 

Foundation breeding material from old, reputable flocks 
can be relied upon to give uniform results of the highest class. 

Salt should be kept before the flock, and although it does 
not affect digestion, it tends to increase consumption of food 
and improve nutrition. 

There is always a demand for scarce articles, therefore to 
obtain the highest prices you must produce sheep with such 
quality that they will be hard to equal. 

It is not necessary that a man know all things, but in 
order to succeed he must know who knows that which he does 
not know, and go to him for it. 

Anyone will work hard when all is coming his way, l)ut 
the sheep breeder who climbs to the top of the ladder of suc- 
cess is he who makes stepping stones of what are stumbling 
blocks for others. 



A breeder's reputation is based upon the class of sheep 
he produces — the enviable one being created by the superiority 
in sheep sent out. 

And if you fall — why rise again ! Get up and go on ; you 
may be sorely bruised with your fall but is that any reason 
for lying still, and giving up the struggle cowardly? 

Sheep are creatures of habit and should always be handled 
by the same regular and quiet attendant. Dogs and strangers 
.should be kept from the feeding pens at all times if possible. 

In the pure-bred business, a breeder's friends might nearly 
be termed an asset. Friends are our mirrors and should be 
clearer than crystal. 

It is highly profitable to correct a mistake. If you resolve 
to do so, the care you exercise in avoiding them will give you 
a less number to correct. 

Large oaks from little acorns grow, and the big breeders 
have been little some day. This is satisfaction to the begin- 
ner because what has been done can be done again. 

The business which is conducted on the basis of a hope for 
permanency must give value received or it will die. 

Old sayings are the best or they would long ago have been 
forgotten, so there must be great truth in that familiar one 
"blood will tell." The scrub ram gives undesirable results 
which are a detriment to any flock and lower the profits de- 
rived therefrom. 

"Opportunity knocks once at every man's door." When it 
comes to you in the pure-bred sheep business, be sure you are 
awake to answer the bell, because if you don't some one else 
will and then gain the trade of your vicinity. Successful 
breeders are "live- wires" all the time. 

Make your methods of breeding an object lesson for im- 
provement to all who may visit your flock. 

Breeders who are another ,stone in the solid foundation 
of the Shropshire are those who in an unselfish manner do all 
possible good for the breed and others interested as well as 
for their personal present gain. 

If there are County Fairs in your vicinity and some breed- 
ers are not exhibiting because the prizes are small, you should 
see the Board of Directors to have the premiums increased. 
They will no doubt give a liberal classification if good ex- 
hibits are assured. It is very essential to the greatest success 
of the Shropshire breed that they are well represented at the 
small fairs throughout the country, because many beginners 
get their first inspiration and impression there. 

There are two classes of men who have Shropshires. one 
including those who have Shropshires with other breeds sim- 
ply for the money there is in it— they are not real Shropshire 

35 



men, although they may claim to be. The other class includes 
those who have Shropshires exclusively and have a deep in- 
terest in the welfare of the breed and all who found Shrop- 
shire flocks. Support should be given to the latter class be- 
cause their services are superior and it requires strong united 
effort to insure continual great success of any breed. 

Success as a breeder is gained by many years of careful 
selection and breeding for size, type, character, mutton confor- 
mation, and dense tieeces. When purchases of breeding ewes or 
rams are made they are selected from the most reputable flock 
within reach because individuals from only such a flock will 
give the desired unvarying results. The "old war horses" 
are those who have looked to the future and built for it. Do 
not expect success in one or two years. 

Standards which determine economy in the purchase of 
breeding sheep do not lie in dollars alone. Over against them 
must be considered the really important measure and that is 
value. An expenditure, no matter how small, is extravagance 
if it brings no returns. If you purchase rams or ewes simply 
because they are low-priced, and they give very little or no 
returns it is extravagance. It does not matter how high-priced 
a sheep is, just so he is good value. 



What the Shropshire Has Done for 
the American Farmer 



The Shropshire sheep enjoys the distinction of having 
been the solid rock upon which the foundation was first really 
begun to make America a mutton-producing country. It seems 
nearly as if Providence had piloted the breed to this country 
for improving or "opening up," the same as Columbus came 
first to a country which later grew and improved far beyond 
their greatest ideas. But it was a country which, if left un- 
touched, would still have been a wilderness in comparison 
with what it is to-day, but a new country was needed by the 
people of the world and it was discovered. When the Shrop- 
shire sheep was first introduced into America there were prac- 
tically no mutton sheep, but they were needed, and they came. 
There was a place for them, and had they not been introduced 
the agricultural population of this country would be at a great 
loss. What the Shropshire has done to the sheep industry 
is nearly too vast to comprehend. When it is considered how 
the favorable results which came from the first Shropshires 

37 




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were a stimulant for expansion of mutton sheep production, 
it must be granted that the Shropshire is a breed of great 
merit. They have proved profitable from the very beginning 
and the present condition of the mutton industry traces to a 
greater or less extent back to this one breed. Of course, to- 
day there are many mutton breeds, but they have come along 
the path previously paved by the Shropshire. It came and 
made clear the fact that mutton sheep were required. Their 
strong constitution made them do well under all farm and cli- 
matic conditions, their mutton was of such quality that it filled 
a market requirement which had never before been met, their 
fleece was of good weight and with special density under the 
body to protect the sheep when lying on damp ground, and 
not only did the pure Shropshire fulfill the requirements but 
they strongly impressed these qualities in their offspring when 
crossed on other sheep. When people began to learn of this the 
demand for Shropshire blood increased and has steadily in- 
creased ever since. The breed greatly improved the common 
sheep and made an excellent cross with the fine-wools, and 
not only did the sheep produced by such cross-breeding meet the 
requirements, but they have broadened the mutton demand 
into all sections of the country. 

First, the Shropshires came to one section and the im- 
provement was not far reaching, but it soon began to spread 
and has continued up to the present day. The comparatively 
limited number of rams available in early years even retarded 
the improvement that sheepmen wanted to make when it was 
generally known what advancement mutton sheep were mak- 
ing. As better mutton has been produced from year to year 
the demand has not only increased but has steadily changed 
for the best class. As the country's population has learned that 
first-class mutton is obtainable a much greater quantity is be- 
ing consumed. These facts are especially verified by the great 
change in market conditions. In days gone by there was not 
much discrimination when a car of sheep was sent to market, 
but now the price varies exactly according to the quality of 
sheep being offered. Good ones bring high prices and the un- 
desirable sheep bring quite low prices. Has the Shropshire 
not been a main factor in bringing all this about? They proved 
that Shropshire-cross mutton was good mutton and thousands 
of people were ready to buy that class of meat. As the sheep- 
men have learned that is what is required, the breeding of 
Shropshire sheep has expanded but that expansion has hardly 
been as great as is the demand. Farmers have been well 
pleased because the Shropshire flock has taken a place on the 
general farm that nothing else seems to fill. The fact that the 
Shropshire is at the present day raised in every State in the 
Union is because they have given results which are sought for 

39 



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by the agricultural population and they have the mutton that 
is sought for by the meat-eating public. They are the universal 
sheep because they have "made good" from the beginning. 
Should not all sheepmen be thankful for this because it has 
placed the sheep industry of America on a solid foundation 
and made it a business of stability? Had this breed never been 
introduced here, what would have been the present condition 
of the industry? An answer would have to be based on 
supposition, but it is safe to say that had the breeders started 
with sheep which were not so hardy under all conditions 
and did not produce such a good mutton carcass when 
crossed on other breeds, their interest would have been slack- 
ened and desire to expand would have been cut off. Also, if 
the public had not been continually getting a better grade of 
mutton their demand would have contracted instead of ex- 
panding. But the Shropshire pleased the breeder and pleased 
the consumer, and our country is thankful for such a breed. 
The great strides forward which have been made are a benefit 
to all and we do not believe that anyone does not really in their 
own mind give all due credit to the Shropshire. The greater 
portion of America must be a mutton producer, and none other 
than a mutton sheep of the highest class fills the bill. The 
Shropshire has done it, is doing it, and always will. They are 
the sheep for the farmer and there are good reasons for it, so 
many that none but those who raise Shropshires can ever real- 
ly learn them all. Constitution has been a most desirable char- 
acteristic and farmers want such a sheep that doesn't need to 
be kept in a hot-house and that will not suffer if caught out in 
a storm. Not only are they naturally strong but their dense 
fleece, which completely covers the body, is the greatest sort of 
protection. Probably they are in a class by themselves when 
it comes to raising twin lambs. Some breeders may say that 
they would rather have one strong lamb than two weak ones. 
Yes, but wouldn't you rather have two strong lambs than just 
one? That is what the well-cared for Shropshire ewe will 
bring. Only a short time ago we saw two Shropshire ewes with 
seven big, lusty lambs on an Ohio farm. Of course that is an 
exceptional instance, but the fact that the two ewes gave birth 
to the seven lambs and were rearing them well only shows one 
of the breed's strong characteristics. That the quality of 
Shropshire mutton has been a principal factor in building up 
the American mutton business speaks strongly enough for it- 
self, and the most desirable feature is that these good quali- 
ties come out very distinctly in the offspring when low-quality 
flocks have had Shropshire blood introduced. That fact has 
been a boon to American agriculture because the importance 
of a flock on every farm is getting more and more evident each 
year and had not the Shropshire given such good, all-around 



41 



results ill the past the probabilities are that the sheep indus- 
try would shine under a different light than it does to-day. 
To a certain point, the more Shropshire blood that has been 
introduced into the flocks of a community the greater has been 
the success of those breeders because they have met the de- 
mand for first-class mutton, and mutton is what the world is 
calling for. The demand which the Shropshire breed has 
created, and the desire of farmers to raise them because they 
are so profitable, when coupled together is what makes the 
Shropshire the exceptional breed that it is. Grade sheep pro- 
ducers have learned that it is the breed for them because of 
the market demand, and pure-bred breeders achieve success 
because the demand is keen for the Shropshire breeding mate- 
rial they offer for sale. Facts of conditions show that they are 
in a class by themselves as a utility sheep for the general 
farmer and in addition to that they are most beautiful for 
those who love to have good live-stock as well as to have the 
kind that are a financial success. Therefore, today the solid 
old Shropshire is to be recommended to those who want a gen- 
eral farm flock that will raise lambs to bring the highest price, 
and also to those who are engaging in a pure-bred business to 
derive satisfaction, pleasure, and profit from it. The Shrop- 
shire has done well by its breeders and will do even better in 
the future because it has built up its own foundation that has 
stood the storms and is not floating on borrowed reputation. 
It lives on facts, and facts are what count. The future must be 
judged more or less by the past, and that is what makes the 
Shropshire enjoy its present distinction. 



Have an Ideal in Breeding 

The word "Ideal" is perhaps the greatest in the vocabu- 
lary of the sheep breeder or any other business man. It means 
an imaginary standard of excellence, a plan or purpose of 
action. One need only ask themselves, what good would ever 
be accomplished or advancement made if man had not in 
mind some standard of excellence to reach or some definite 
purpose of action, to partially understand the great meaning 
of the word and the important place it must occupy in our 
life and work. The past success of different breeders has 
been the result of their untiring effort to reach a certain ideal. 
Ideals may vary, so also the results, but the one special factor 
for the breeder to remember and study is to have a definite 

42 



purpose. If success comes M-ithout it, it is an accident and 
accidents seldom occur. To the breeder who has a fair start 
in the sheep business, the main consideration now comes 
before you, "what is your ideal — what goal do you want to 
reach?" At the very beginning a person cannot give to him- 
self a satisfactory answer to that question, but after hav- 
ing raised sheep for a while and experience has taught a 
few lessons then the collected facts enable one to make plans 
for definite procedure in the future. However, this concluding 
of what your ideal exactly is should not be put off too long 
because the habit of being idealless soon affects you until 
there is no desire to accomplish any definite success. How 
many failures or "drones" are seen in this world which are 
the result of their having permitted surrounding circumstances 
to guide them"? The number is certainly large but we simply 
mention them here for comparison and not to be copied after. 
On the other hand you hear people say of someone : ' ' Oh ! luck 
always comes his way and he makes a success of anything he 
puts his hand to." The facts usually are that such men have 
an ideal and are putting forth every effort along well planned 
and guided lines ; they have a purpose of action — an imaginary 
standard of excellence. To have this ideal is all-important be- 
cause there is a great deal of diffenmce between the "bull- 
headed" man and the "thinker." They may possess an equal 
amount of energy and perserverance but the "thinker" has a 
purpose of action and his work is carefully guided by deep 
thought, while the other class hardly know what they do want. 
Of course, different conditions change results but in a majority 
of cases the failure to succeed in sheep breeding is due to the 
lack of an ideal. On the other hand the good results leading 
to great success have come because someone was working hard 
along a well laid plan to reach a certain end. As soon as 
conditions are right, be sure to have an ideal, then work in- 
cessantly along that line. You make the circumstances instead 
of letting them guide you. When things come up apparently 
to work against you, go straight through, or around if neces- 
sary, but never say "I can't." There are many stories about 
that "Can't" which are familiar to us all, but it must be an 
unknown word to the breeder who desires to be a real flock- 
master. No matter whether you are producing mutton lambs 
for the market or pure-breds for even the show-ring, success 
rarely comes except as the reward of a definite purpose which 
has been carried out by the breeder. "Hope" is the founda- 
tion for your having a flock — yon have hoped to do a certain 
thing. Perhaps yovi have engaged in pure-bred breeding and 
now you hope to sell the kind of rams that will improve the 
flocks of your customers or possibly have an even greater 
hope to produce sheep which will win the greatest prizes of- 

43 



fered at live-stock exhibitions. AVe live on Hope — hoping that 
such and such things will be after awhile. That is a good thing, 
but what is the real use of Hope unless we have an Ideal to 
work toward so our hopes will be realized? If your efforts 
are centered upon one definite object and are combined with 
perseverance, some time sooner or later your hope will surely 
become real. You may work hard every day of your life, but 
without an ideal prove a failure. The work guided to do a 
certain thing and continued until it is done is what crowns 
breeders with success. First they view surrounding conditions, 
then form their ideal — an imaginary standard of excellence, 
and set out and do not stop until it is realized. You must 
surely plan to do a certain thing before it ever will be done. 
If you want to sell high-class rams, that must be your purpose 
and then continually strive along well planned lines until you 
do offer them. Continually make changes in your breeding 
flock and methods of management until the desired sort are 
the result. Know what you want and do not stop until you 
get it. The highest desire of a pure-bred breeder is, of course, 
to win in the show-ring. It is not getting the premium money 
that gives satisfaction but it is the great honor of having 
brought forth sheep nearer perfect than anyone else has. That 
should be the highest ideal of those who found a pure-bred 
flock — say to yourself, "some day my sheep will win in the 
greatest show-rings." Having that object in view brings the 
other good things ahead. The winning sheep have to be more 
perfect in constitution, mutton form, fleece, type, etc.. than any 
competitor's and when you are producing that class of sheep 
your sales will surely be good enough and you will have the 
extreme satisfaction of knowing that your sheep are helping 
to advance general sheep interests as well as your own. Men 
with such ideals are the ones that have made our pure-bred 
sheep what they are, and breeders with such a purpose are 
required for the future welfare of the industry. We were put 
in this world for some purpose and if our lot is sheep-raising, 
let's go at it with all our might. Some adversities will come 
the same as clouds occasionally overshadow the sun, but let us 
be sure to have our sun shining brightly as soon as the clouds 
disappear. If something happens wrong at home, overcome 
it and try to make things better for the future, and if some- 
one wins over you in the show-ring, study to learn how he 
was able to produce a more perfect sheep and then try to 
make yours better. That kind of an Ideal will bring success 
to you, both financially and for the satisfaction and pleasure. 



Selecting tor Exhibition 

At the end of October, or early in November, some six or 
eight ram lambs, and about the same number of ewe lambs 
(if required) should be selected, with a view to giving them a 
little more care and attention than the rest. This requires a 
great amount of care and discrimination on the part of the 
breeder. In the first place, we would recommend that double 
the required number be drawn out, the lambs from ewes which 
have previously bred exceptionally well, being specially noted. 
After this they must all undergo a close scrutiny and those 
that have defects which would debar their winning must be 
discarded at once, as it would only be time thrown away to 
prepare and feed for show an animal that could not in some 
degree be successful. What is a defect which cannot be passed 
over in a show-ring must be left to the judgment of the 
breeder. 

The young sheep intended for exhibition should be allowed 
to run out daily until about April on an old turf for prefer- 
ence and at night should be housed. But should the winter 
prove very mild they are really better not housed at all until 
later. They should also receive a liberal allowance of what 
succulent food the farm will allow — such as turnips, kale, 
mangels and cabbage, 1/2 lb. to 1 lb. of artificial food, consist- 
ing of oats, linseed cake, and bran, and as much good clover 
hay as they will consume. Neither corn, beans, peas, or other 
highly nitrogenous food are considered desirable, as they heat 
the body and tend to derange the system, and if given in 
excess, the results will soon be seen in ricketty legs and a 
shrunken appearance of the barrel. Sheep grow and thrive 
better upon plenty of green food and good clover hay with a 
moderate allowance of grain, than with corn as the principal 
ration and a short supply of nature's own food. Many breed- 
ers have had a good pen of ewes or a valuable ram completely 
ruined by the injudicious use of too much trough food. A 
number of young or inexperienced shepherds make this great 
mistake and the watchful eye should be ever on the alert to 
counteract the tendency to use artificials too freely. The most 
successful feeders of show sheep are invariably warm advocates 
for a variety of green food, using, comparatively speaking, 
little else. 

As soon as warm weather comes, the sheep intended for 
exhibition should be shorn. On no account wash the sheep 
intended for exhibition before shearing, as it may at such an 
early period cause death by chill. 

45 



The sheep should, after shearing, have their feet carefully 
looked to and pared, and again undergo a close examination, 
with a view to finding if there are any that are too faulty for 
show purposes. If they all pass muster, they must be divided 
into small lots and pushed on (with judgment) as rapidly as 
possible as the summer shows will soon be here. Not more 
than three of the best rams should be put together — they are 
still better alone — and the ewes say in two lots. Sheep thrive 
and do better in small lots and in the case of rams it is abso- 
lutely essential to divide them as much as circumstances will 
allow. 

Rams are not so likely to fight in lots of three as when 
two are penned together but the best animals should, if pos- 
sible, have pens to themselves. 

The sheep shed should be on a dry spot and a good system 
of drainage is essential. In practice it will not be found 
advisable to put the show ewes and rams in the same shed, 
and generally another l)uilding may be so arranged as to ac- 
commodate the ewes. 

Exercise is, however, essential even after the sheep have 
been shorn and housed, and the chances of success are greater if 
the sheep have exercise daily. It develops muscle and strength, 
keeps them well on their legs, gives them an increased appetite, 
and promotes health, all which results in a thrifty growth and 
firmness of flesh. Exercising the show animals is pleasant 
occupation and if you are accompanied occasionally by a friend, 
so much the better, as the animals get used to strangers and 
become docile and quiet. Most successful men play and 
faddle with their sheep and notice their daily growth, and 
if they are not doing as they should, change the diet some- 
what. 

Preparing Lambs for Show 

These should be chosen with care, examining each lamb 
minutely as to wool, skin, and other points characteristic of 
the breed, and as a rule early well- grown lambs have much the 
best chance. Let the lambs selected be dipped at once, repeat- 
ing the operation a month or six weeks later. Give them as 
much room as possible on land which has not been fed with 
sheep, housing them at night, and supplying them with green 
food, and about V2 lb. of linseed cake, oats, and bran mixed 
(no corn). As the summer advances, house in the heat and 
glare of the day, and allow them recourse to a field for a few 
hours in the evening. As the show-time approaches, it may 
be advisable to trough feed entirely, and only allow them out 
for exercise, as they are apt to fall away when from home if 
not so treated, and unaccustomed to confinement. 



Green Feeds for Summer 



Rape 

Rape is the most universal green plant grown for summer 
use with lambs and exhibition sheep. Perhaps this is due to 
the fact that it is easily raised and grows an abundance of 
feed on a small area, as much as fifteen tons having been ob- 
tained from a single cutting per acre. Dwarf Essex is the best 
variety and grows up very quickly being large enough to cut 
for use within seventy to ninety days after planting. The seed 
is about the same in size as that of the turnip and when sown 
broadcast it will require four to six pounds per acre. It can 
be sown in the spring as soon as warm weather comes and 
when sown in drills it will not require over three or four 
pounds per acre, yet it need not be spared because it only costs 
from five to eight cents per pound. Well prepared clean 
ground raises the heaviest and best crop. If not cut too short 
the first time there will be a luxuriant second growth which 
comes into good use for the field lambs in the autumn. The 
housed sheep do wonderfully well with rape as their green 
feed. 

Kale 

Thousand-headed Kale is another very desirable green 
crop and in appearance is Jibout between rape and cabbage. 
Of course the leaves of rape are wide out while those of cabbage 
form a head, but kale would not come under either description. 
Possibly it is harder to raise than rape but it contains more 
dry matter. The best crop of kale comes from having drilled 
it in rows about 18 inches apart. Then when it has come well 
up it can be thinned in the rows according to the growth of 
plant that is desired. They should be left fairly close together 
or they will become so large that the stems will be woody. If 
it is your first year with these plants only a small patch of 
kale should be put out and then it can be seen how kale and 
rape compare. 

Cabbage 

As neither Kale nor Rape will keep in good condition very 
long after cutting, the exhibitor must raise some crop that 
will afford the necessary green stuff while away at the shows. 
Cabbage fills this place very well. Seed of the early 



varieties can be sown in a "bed" at the house and the plants 
transplanted as soon as spring opens up. This method is neces- 
sary in order that you may be sure of some fair-sized heads 
when you first need them. For the later cabbage some fiock- 
masters prefer to drill the seed in the field but we have never 
had very good success in that way so have adopted the same 
manner of transplanting that we have with the early varieties. 
If you get a good cabbage crop you have assurance of keeping 
your flock in form throughout the fair circuit. 

Turnips 

The flock while away do all the better if they have some 
additional feed other than cabbage and their grain and as it 
should be of a succulent nature the turnip comes into place. 
In the early spring a small patch of turnips should be planted 
and although some prefer the Purple Top we have always 
obtained the best results with the White Globe. It doesn't 
matter so much what variety it is, so they are put in early 
and on a clean patch of soil. They should be drilled in rows so 
they could be well cared for and their growth stimulated. 
Mangels and Ruta-Bagas cannot be successfully used in place 
of the turnip so early in the season. When bagging them for 
the Fairs be siij-e to remove the tops and when they are sliced 
for the sheep they should be perfectly clean because some bad 
results have been recorded from the feeding of sandy and 
dirty turnips. With these in addition to cabbage the exhibition 
sheep will thrive exceptionally well while away from home. 



Before the Show 



Having brought the sheep of the respective classes as near 
perfection as possible, as regards growth and condition, 
much will still depend upon the way in which they are placed 
before the judges. Every care should be taken in matching 
individuals for the flock prize. A prize is often thrown away 
by putting together animals of different sizes and types. 

Again, it would be bad policy to send the best animals 
away from home the week or so preceding the most important 
fairs, where the breed comes out in great numbers, and the 
prizes are more valued. Such a step would be placing the 
sheep at a disadvantage as they Avould undoubtedly lose much 
of their bloom. 

50 



As To Selection 

If the exhibitor feels convinced he cannot show to win, 
he should not select the biggest to represent him, but rather 
those which are the truest to character and type, and likely 
to attract the attention of breeders, with perhaps more remun- 
erative results than the mere money value of a prize. Un- 
doubtedly many men have injured their reputation by exhibit- 
ing animals not true to character when perhaps their flock in 
its entirety was a very good one. 



The True Show-Ring Spirit 

The exhibitor has much to consider other than simply 
bringing forward his sheep in the best possible manner. It 
must be kept in mind what an exhibition is really for, but at 
all shows we find two classes of men, one including those who 
consider exhibiting as a sort of war in which they must strive 
to beat their competitor regardless of how low they have to 
stoop to do it, and the other class includes those who are 
imbibed with the true show-ring spirit and are there to help 
raise the standard and advance sheep interests in general. The 
actions of the former class have to be endured to a greater or 
less extent by those exhibitors who are truly gentlemen. They 
will mix up their flocks and say disagreeable things, but new 
exhibitors must cultivate their own minds so these sneaking 
tricks and unkind words from other hands and lips will not 
excite or vex them. If you happen to have such a competitor, 
just consider that you are unfortunate to that extent and by 
cool judgment and clear thinking try to overcome the public 
effect of his evil ways. Some men, and old ones too, in dif- 
ferent cases, seem to think that their reputation can be built 
up by untruthful low sayings about other people but such is 
not the case, and when you hear anyone speaking ill of their 
competitor just firmly impress upon your mind that the person 
who uttered those words is not a first-class man whose princi- 
ples are high and correct. The true exhibitor who is a benefit 
to the industry and is satisfactory to deal with is the one that 
strives hard to bring forth sheep of the highest possible stand- 
ard and by placing them before the public and in the show- 
ring he helps to raise the ideals of spectators and for himself 
has the satisfaction of knowing what improvement he has 
made in his own flock and learns how he can make still greater 
improvement. Do not let your mind dwell upon what the 

51 



other fellow is doing, but always do your level best to make 
your flock and yourself better from year to year. To be what 
we are, and to become what we are capable of becoming, is 
the only end of life. Too many exhibitors center their thoughts 
and plans upon winning over some certain competitor, but that 
is the very lowest class of show-ring spirit, and when con- 
tinued it not only upsets those breeders but it does harm to 
sheep-raising in the section where they are. The exhibitor 
must say to himself, "I will do the best I possibly can and 
take care of my own business." The world is always ready 
to welcome such men and they invariably gain the best stand- 
ing and prove to be the foundation for all real improvement. 
Those who splutter out and say they will beat a certain man 
no matter what it costs are just some specie of human hyena 
and of course if they have plenty of money they can remain 
in the business and keep right on doing harm and upsetting 
young men's ideas. We suppose the Creator placed a few of 
them among us so when we viewed things correctly we could 
fully appreciate what is right, just, and uplifting. The un- 
assuming, steady, push-forward young exhibitor can gain a 
foot-hold and an enviable standing anywhere. Truly the show- 
ring brings more or less excitement and it is good that we are 
filled with the spirit to win, but it also is high time to bring 
into full play the good old Golden Rule, "do unto others as 
you would have them do unto you," and give it front position 
at all times in your principles which guide your words and 
actions toward others. Your desire to win should be based 
upon your purpose to make your flock as near perfection as 
possible, and then when your sheep are placed at the top of 
the class you have great and pleasing satisfaction. Would it 
really satisfy you to win as a result of some mean act, or to 
make a sale by saying degrading things about another firm? 
Would that which seemed gain at the moment be a lasting 
gain, and would it make your life's work better and more 
satisfactory to yourself? When you start with a high-class 
jmre-bred flock you have begun the foundation for a life- 
work and your desire is to make a great success. If you were 
to start a stone foundation for a large building and wanted 
it when completed to be a standing monument for your pur- 
pose and work, would you some day in a hurry put in some 
mud or other material which would soon crumble or rot away ? 
The fairs and your work there are only but a stone in your 
foundation of a life's work in breeding, and it certainly will 
be best in the end to have left no weak places. Judge things 
with a consideration of the future and if you do right at all 
times when it comes sharply to you to do one thing or the other 
it makes you stronger in the estimation of both yourself and 
the public. Endeavor to be that kind of a showman that the 

52 



good men enjoy showing against, and live such a strong and 
straight show-yard life that even your competitors will admire 
and respect you and your principles. There is more to con- 
sider than just yourself and to-day. Young farmers and 
breeders who pass the show-yard and pens and notice the 
liigh quality of your sheep and your personal manner may 
be buyers in future years. At the start it must not be the 
only desire to win, in fact that is what leads many astray. 
Decide that you will do business squarely and produce the 
best sheep you possibly can and exhibit them fairly. Sound 
business principles with a respect for others is the only solid 
foundation to be laid for the future. That does not mean that 
energy should be slackened, because success is the result of 
labor. AVork as hard as you can but do everything honestly. 
The exhibitor who has any other principle may for a while seem 
to be succeeding but as time goes on, the world will notice 
that so-called success turning to failure. A good many things 
will stand in fine appearance when all is well but when real 
tests come it is the sound, high-principled exhibitor that stands 
and the others that fall. Work hard against those that really 
do the industry harm by inflating jealousy, etc., but always 
assist the man whose aim is for the right goal. The best 
breeders must unite to advance general interests. Selfishness 
is not included in the true show-ring spirit, and even with 
strong men it is a gain for today and a loss for tomorrow. 
The trne exhibitor goes to the show to build up his reputation 
and help advance his breed and the industry. When we have 
studied deep down into the foundation principles which when 
combined will bring about these results we will have learned 
what if applied will cause us to have the true show-ring spirit. 
It is important and desirable that agricultural exhibitions be 
held to help general breeders to have higher ideals and also 
to stimulate the exhibitors to steady improvement in their 
flocks. Therefore it is the personal duty of each exhibitor to 
do his full part in assisting to bring about these results. Will 
any other than straight principles make object lessons which 
if copied after will make real advancement ? Truly the exhibitor 
has first in mind his own welfare and the spreading of his 
reputation, but a broad mind, a generous heart, straight deal- 
ing, and good sheep are all that will ever bring him lasting 
personal gain. Do well by others and they will do well by 
you. _ The true show-ring spirit is broad and really helps every- 
one in the sheep business and gives spectators and beginning 
breeders high ideals. Talking with some exhibitors is an in- 
spiration and they fill your mind with great and good thoughts, 
while other men will in the end make you feel mean and selfish ; 
the former have the true show-ring spirit and the others have 
not. Try to be of the former class. 




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. Management of the Breeding Flock 

The breeder's year really begins when the ewes are mated 
in the autumn, so we w^ill first refer to the mating season. 
During recent years a great deal of attention has been given to 
flushing breeding ewes. 

This is a practice which is now being taken up by nearly 
all leading breeders in America, and for many years has been 
practiced in Great Britain and other foreign countries. The 
term "' Hushing" is applied to having the ewes rapidly gaining 
in fiesh at the time ram is turned wuth them for mating. 

There is abundant evidence that "tiushing" hastens for- 
ward the mating time. It has been fully demonstrated that 
''heat" in animals is brought about through the action of an 
internal secretion elaborated by the ovaries (or organs which 
give rise to the ova or female germ cells). It would appear, 
therefore, that the artificial feeding which would be given the 
ewes at this time exercises a stimulating infiuence on the 
secretory action of the ovaries, while at the same time causing 
the graafian follicles (or ovarian vesicles which contain the 
ova) to reach maturity more rapidly, and a larger number to 
discharge during the early "heat" periods of the mating sea- 
son. Besides causing the ewes to take service of ram at an 
earlier date, this additional and fresh feeding tends to increase 
the number of lambs dropped. Perhaps the results to be ob- 
tained from "flushing" have never been fully explained to all, 
therefore we wish to give the details of some experiments made 
by Francis H. A. Marshall, lecturer on the "Physiology of Re- 
production" in the University of Edinburgh, Scotland. 

In 1905 there were three pens of ewes in the experiment. 
One pen was fed on only grass during the summer months 
previous to mating. During the three wrecks they were with 
the ram they received a full supply of turnips, and during 
pregnancy received dried grains and turnips, and were fed 
on "lamb food" about three weeks previous to lambing. The 
rams were fed on bruised oats during the time they were with 
the ewes. From this pen of ewes ISi/o per cent had triplets 
and one ewe had four lambs. In this instance the exact per- 
centage of lambs was 191.5. None of the ewes were barren 
and none aborted. Unfortunately, however, not all of the 
lambs could be reared, so the number still living at about one 
month after lambing was reduced to 183 per cent. 

The second lot of ewes were given Bombay cake (a mixed 
feedstuff), bruised barley, a small amount of linseed cake, as 
well as turnips during mating time. Previous to this they were 

55 



were fed only on grass. Some turnips were allowed during 
the period of pregnancy. The rams received the same feed as 
the ewes. Thirteen and one-half per cent of the ewes produced 
triplets. None aborted or were barren. The ewes were all 
3 years old and produced 193.75 percentage of lambs. 

In the case of the third lot of ewes, they were placed on a 
fiesh better pasture just previous to mating time, and from 
this time on until the middle of April they had good pasture, 
a reasonable allowance of turnips and all the cut hay they 
would eat. The rams received no special treatment. Out of 
184 ewes, 23 had triplets, 2 ewes were barren, and 1 aborted. 
Altogether this pen produced lamb percentage of 196. 

Further Mr. Marshall states that it is obvious that lambing 
returns as a whole confirm the conclusion that extra feeding at 
mating time results in a larger crop of lambs at the subseciuent 
lambing. 

One correspondent stated that he put 60 ewes on rape and 
clover at mating time and that 90 per cent of these had either 
twins or triplets at the ensuing lambing, far exceeding the 
other sheep, which were treated differently. 

There is distinct evidence, also, that the barrenness per- 
centage is less with ewes which have been specially fed in the 
way indicated. 

These facts should be of great interest to every sheep 
breeder, because it is quite an item to produce a large percent- 
age of early lambs, and the outlay of additional feed is very 
small. 

The result of this practice has, of course, been perfectly 
well known to numerous individual flockmasters, who have 
consistently "flushed" the ewes on their own farms for a 
period of many years. It is surprising, however, that although 
feeding experiments upon mutton and wool production have 
been described in various agricultural publications, no 
systematic investigation dealing with the effects of different 
methods has ever been recorded. The complete absence, so 
far as the writer is aware, of any definite records on this sub- 
ject may perhaps explain the want of knowledge of the results 
of extra feeding among large numbers of sheep breeders who 
have never adopted this method of increasing the fertility in 
their stock. In England the subject seems to have received 
even less attention than in Scotland, and in our own experience 
the practice of "flushing" is often deprecated by those who 
have never tried it. So far as we have been able to ascertain, 
those who have adopted the practice of flushing their ewes 
are satisfied that the extra cost which such additional feeding 
involves is more than repaid by the larger crop of lambs which 
is produced. 

56 



All who have Hushed their ewes have found it very profit- 
able, and, although not all the feeds used in the Scotch experi- 
ments are procurable in America, it is unnecessary because 
other feeds will answer the same purpose. By referring to 
the third lot of experiment ewes it will be seen that it could 
be carried out very simply on any American farm. Nearly 
every farmer has a fresh patch of second growth clover, and 
clover can hardly be excelled. Rape is good in addition, and if 
it were in corn or alone joining clover, you have an ideal com- 
bination. To turn your breeding ewes on a patch of clover 
and rape would immediately affect the ewes in the manner 
mentioned in the first part of this article. The ewes would 
come in "heat" very soon, and mating under such conditions 
would bring about the desired result of a large number of 
lambs. 

The best results ever obtained at "Clover Hill," in Iowa, 
were from ewes turned on such a patch of fresh clover. We 
erected a few temporary "V" shaped troughs and fed them 
a liberal allowance of chopped pumpkins sprinkled over with 
salt and oats. The rams received the same treatment and 
were allowed to run with the ewes. As soon as the ewes had 
all taken the ram and refused the second time, the ram was 
taken from the flock. There were two sets of triplets from 
this lot, and nearly all raised twins; not a single ewe being 
barren. Lambs were dropped very closely together as regards 
date, and this assists the breeder in having a uniform bunch 
of lambs, which is very desirable. This is one step toward 
the production of "more better sheep" which should not 
be overlooked by anyone. Every farmer can "flush" his ewes 
in this way and once you have practiced it you will always 
continue. Attending to such details is what brings success to 
some breeders while the inattentive are wondering but never 
succeed as they would like to. 



Later Management 

After the ewes have remained to the service of the ram 
they should be turned on a good old turf. Blue grass pastures 
fairly well grown are the best after the heavy frosts have 
come on. As winter approaches a little grain could be given 
and when snow has come of course hay feeding must begin. 
Clover hay is by far the best hay produced in the Middle 
West. Alfalfa is fully as good but is not raised very much 



East of the ]\lissouri River. Breeding ewes should be kept in 
good thriving condition but not necessarily fat. They must 
have plenty of exercise so give them as much range as pos- 
sible. When winter has set in of course the flock must be 
protected but do not shut them up in some small dark ill- 
ventilated and poorly-bedded shed. A sheep shed should be 
large, the roof high, and in some climates it is best to have 
the south side open. Unless you live in the north where 
winters are severe the flock should be turned out every day 
so they may have exercise. Scatter a few little bunches of 
corn fodder or hay on the side hill out of the wind and such 
practice will do the flock no end of good. Keep the shed clean 
and well bedded with oat or wheat straw. Remember that the 
ewes have their own bodies to keep up as well as the unborn 
lambs and they must have bone and muscle producing food. 
Timothy hay and corn produce fat so they should not be used, 
('lover hay, and pea straw are good rough material, while 
oats, bran, oilmeal, etc., are the proper trough feeds. Oats and 
bran in equal parts with about one-fifth the amount of crushed 
oil-cake is a most desirable mixture but as lambing time draws 
near the amount of oilmeal could be slightly increased. Prop- 
erly fed ewes go through the lambing period in good form 
and drop strong lambs. Just before lambing each ewe should 
be placed in a small pen by herself and allowed to remain 
there until the lambs are two or three days old. 



Merits of Sheep Forage and Feeds 

Clover Hay 

Clover contains the greatest amount of feeding value when 
cut just as the heads are in full bloom. When in good condi- 
tion it furnishes a large amount of protein and ash essential 
to thrift in the breeding flock. It helps to fully develop lambs 
which are to be retained as breeders because it builds strong 
bone and a large framework; it gives proper nourishment to 
the ewes carrying unborn lambs and gives more favorable re- 
turns than any other from of roughage to breeding sheep of 
all classes. Clover which has been poorly cared for and 
weatherbeaten becomes very harsh and, in addition to losing 
much of its feeding value, it is liable to cause stomach trouble. 
Too much attention cannot be given to properly gathering it 
so all the little leaves will be in fine condition. 

58 



Corn Fodder 

To obtain the largest amount of nutriment in the crop, 
the seed should be planted very thickly so the ears will not 
attain full size. The best time to cut for fodder is when the 
kernels are just past the glazing stage. If cut earlier the 
plant and ear would contain more water and less feeding value. 
Much attention should be given at cutting time in order that 
the stalks be placed erect and in very large shocks. This di- 
minishes the loss of leaves by the wind and the detriment done 
by rains. Then it will be a valuable winter roughage for the 
flock, although the dry matter in fodder does not give quite 
such exceptional results as when the plant has been cut for 
silage, those breeders who do not have silos must not overlook 
the importance of having some good fodder. 

However, it should not be fed exclusively, but can be rated 
very highly when a small allowance is fed daily. The leaves 
are a coarse hay of high feeding value, and the ear, having 
been left in the husks, is eaten with greater relish than the hard 
grain which has fully matured and been placed in a bin. There 
is no much better forage for sheep, but care should be taken 
that they do not get too much grain. Fodder is best fed out- 
side where it tends to give the flock their needed daily exercise. 

Timothy Hay 

Timothy hay with its stifle, woody stems, yields a very 
small amount of forage and should not occupy an important 
place on the sheep farm. 

Alfalfa Hay 

In making alfalfa hay the greatest care should be exer- 
cised in saving the leaves and finer parts, so easily wasted. 
The possible loss from careless maldng is great, but when prop- 
erly cured, alfalfa is very palatable to sheep. Perhaps it will 
give slightly better results to fattening sheep than clover. 
Where it can be successfully grown it finds great favor for this 
purpose, but in the corn belt the amount of special work re- 
quired in its production is much greater than with clover. 
The tap root of alfalfa reaches many feet into the soil, thus 
indicating that the plant must have a subsoil through which 
roots maj^ pass and water should not be near the surface. For 
breeding sheep the feeding value is not much different than 
clover. 



59 



Millet Hay 

Millet hay is not considered a good rough feed for sheep. 
If it is to be used for hay it should be cut when just coming 
into bloom to avoid the formation of the hard seeds which are 
nearly indigestible by live stock. In too many instances it is cut 
late, and then when the hay is used entirely it is apt to be very 
injurious. The principal objections are that it causes increased 
action of the kidneys, also scour. More care is necessary in 
feeding millet than any other coarse fodder. If it is to be 
fed, it should be in limited quantities and not continuously. 
If you have it on hand and do not care to purchase clover or 
other hay for whole allowance it would be advisable to at 
least feed an amount of clover equal to that of the millet. 

Oat and Pea Hay 

The prominent characteristic of the field pea is its large 
content of protein or bone and muscle building material, this 
richness of protein rendering it particularly useful for breed- 
ing ewes and growing lambs. When grown with oats it is a 
feed that merits the consideration of all flockmasters. We 
have received good results from feeding oat-and-pea hay, the 
seed having been sown at the rate of about two bushels of oats 
and one bushel of peas per acre. Seeding can be done prac- 
tically as early as oats alone. Just as the oats are turning 
yellow at ripening time the pea seed will also have passed 
the milky stage and it is the right time to cut it for hay. This 
combination forms a forage of high nutritive value much ap- 
preciated by sheep. Attention should be given the crop at 
this time because if the crop were to be cut too green the seeds 
will mold and lower the feeding value. Properly cured oat and 
pea hay is a most excellent feed during winter months for the 
breeding Hock, and it makes them thrifty rather than fat. The 
yield per acre is quite heavy and the mixture affords the proper 
winter change from the regular feeds. This same mixture can 
be grown to feed exhibition sheep and cut when desired before 
ripe for feeding inside. 

Corn Silage 

With American breeders the use of some kind of succulent 
feed nearly the whole year round has become quite general. 
It helps to keep up the appetite and general condition of our 
flocks. Although roots are not so successfully grown as in 
Europe, corn takes their place and furnishes a larger and 
cheaper supply of food material from a given area than any 
other crop. It will yield about twice as nmch dry matter as 
a crop of roots grown on the same land, and it has been 
found by feeding experiments that the dry matter in corn 

60 



silage gives as good results as that in roots. All breeders who 
can should have a silo because silage is so much more palatable 
to sheep than dry fodder and they will consume a larger amount 
of dry matter in that form and it is more easily digested. The 
use of silage as a succulent food for sheep has given most 
favorable results and experiments in fattening sheep have 
shown that corn silage gives better resvilts than rutabagas or 
Swede turnips. We believe that it is the most desirable succu- 
lent food produced in the corn belt for both breeding and fat- 
tening sheep. Most of the adverse reports on silage are due to 
the use of green immature plants and such silage apart from 
being sour is of very low feeding value as compared with that 
made from the crop which was well matured before being 
harvested for the silo. 

Indian corn is best suited for the purpose because when 
cut it packs very closely in a solid mass and keeps well. Like 
roots silage makes a watery carcass which is soft to the touch 
and this is a desirable condition in all breeding sheep also fat- 
tening ones during the early stages of that process. For breed- 
ing sheep the less tense flesh, a natural result of silage feed- 
ing, is more conducive to vigorous young at birth and to their 
hearty maintenance afterward than dry feed continually 
throughout the winter. Feeding only dry forage tends to pro- 
duce a dry firm flesh — a condition certainly not conducive to 
the highest degree of health in the flock. Too many flocks 
give this dry harsh appearance in winter and it proves a loss 
to the owner in both the lamb crop and the wool. Silage tends 
to keep up the same condition that is noticed when the sheep 
are out on green grass in the summer, and the cost of its mak- 
ing is not very great. It also takes the place of much grain 
which would otherwise be required. 

Indian Corn 

Corn as a grain is much relished by sheep and is more 
palatable than others which turn to a sticky mass during 
mastication. It has no equal for fattening but owing to its low 
per cent of protein and ash, it is not well suited for developing 
young or breeding sheep which require food that will produce 
bone and muscle. As it is raised by nearly every American 
farmer it is a common feed, but we believe that a great number 
of failures to obtain the greatest results from breeding flocks 
are due to the liberal use of corn. Ewes thus fed will fatten 
instead of properly nourish their lambs and then the owner 
wonders why they are not as healthy and thrifty as they should 
be. Liberal feeding and proper feeding are often quite dif- 
ferent because no properly fed breeding flocks receive a liberal 
allowance of corn, unless it is in conjunction with oats, bran or 
some such feed. 

61 



Oats 

Oats are perhaps the most desirable of all grains for the 
breeding tlock because they produce growth rather than fat- 
tening. Oats contain a much higher proportion of bone and 
muscle-producing nutriment than corn and in itself is quite 
a well balanced ration. Especially is this true when the oat 
kernel has a small hull. If the oat crop is of poor quality and 
the hulls are woody it is well to add some bran or oil cake to 
the ration. In some cases oats have given better results when 
ground but we do not believe this is necessary or profitable 
for sheep feeding. 

Wheat 

AVheat for sheep feed is much more balanced than corn, 
and contains a larger amount of that nutriment which is re- 
quired for the full development of lambs and also contains 
nearly as large a per cent of fattening material. In most cases 
the price of wheat forbids its use for live stock feeding but 
those sheepmen in sections where w^heat is plentiful are fortu- 
nate. It gives best results with sheep when fed whole but as 
it is a strong feed it should always be mixed with other grains. 
Some sheep breeders have obtained excellent results from 
feeding wheat alone but such use can not be recommended 
generally. 

Bran 

Wheat bran carries a large amount of crude fiber but it is 
very desirable for a mixture with grains. It produces the ef- 
fect of a mild laxative which is cpiite beneficial. It contains a 
large amount of muscle and bone-building material and gives 
most excellent results when fed to growing lambs, breeding 
ewes and rams in service. For ewes with young lambs it is 
a leading feed with the best breeders because it not only fur- 
nishes bulk but large quantities of protein and ash which are 
so much needed in the formation of milk. Farmers who have 
plenty of corn but no oats or wheat can make a good ration 
by mixing bran with it. Sheep which are housed being fed 
for exhibition purposes should always have bran in their ra- 
tion especially on account of its bulkiness and laxative effect 
upon the digestive organs. Breeding sheep should always re- 
ceive some bran unless they are out on grass. 

Oil Meal 

Oil meal is the residue after ground flaxseed has been sub- 
.jected to great pressure for the purpose of removing the oil. 
At first it is in slabs about an inch thick, perhaps fourteen 
inches wide and about two feet long. For feeding, these slabs 

62 



are reduced to the size of hazel nuts and this is called "nut 
cake" and is the most desirable size for sheep feeding. Usually 
it is ground to a meal but that forms a paste in the sheep's 
mouth which is undesirable. Oil cake or meal is a very health- 
ful feed and places sheep in a fine general condition with a 
pink skin, oily fleece and good cpiality of flesh. It has a most 
iDeneficial efl^ect upon the digestive organs and the flock always 
profits by having a small portion mixed with its regular winter 
grain allowance. 



Practical Sheep Barns 

Proper shelter for the flocks adds greatly to their thrift, 
while improper sheds are in many instances not much better 
than nothing. To economically build barns which are cor- 
rect at all times and for all purposes should be the desire of 
flockmasters. In the summer the pure-bred breeder wants 
a barn properly arranged for the well doing of sheep which 
he will be preparing for exhibition purposes, when cold dis- 
agreeable weather comes in the autumn all breeders want a 
place for the flocks to lie inside and have a little clover, during 
the winter ample shelter must be provided from heavy storms 
and a dry clean place is needed for feeding, in early 
spring a warm dry place is needed for the ewes and young 
lambs. Those are the needs for shelter. Then comes the 
matter of feeding and not only must proper feed troughs be 
pro\'ided but the rough feed should be close at hand. Arrange- 
ments should be made for some means of sorting the sheep 
without turning out of the barn. Some way of easily loading 
into and unloading from a wagon should be provided. There 
should be some space for mixing grain, to place buckets and all 
other loose necessaries about such a barn. The shepherd 
should have a room of his own, so he will be near the sheep 
at all times, and especially during the lambing period. 

We have been many years in planning a bam to meet 
all such requirements, and we are now fully satisfied with 
those we have erected at "Clover Hill Farm." The one photo is 
of the outside of one of our barns, and the other photo gives 
an idea of the trough and pen arrangement insicle. We do 
not believe in the low poorly-ventilated sheds found on so 
many sheep farms, and furthermore we want all hay and 
straw above the sheep where it is easily obtainable regard- 
less of weather. Rough feed and straw, being kept from the 
weather in this way is also very bright and there is no loss 
such as is experienced by stacking outside. Such a barn lessens 
the shepherd's work and saves nuich general expense to the 

63 



owner. Large doors next to the roof-peak open clown to 
permit hay etc., to be sent in by means of fork or sling on a 
steel track. Such entrance is at both ends, the carrier run- 
ning from either end to center of hay mow. A large feed way, 
about 6x4 feet, extends from top of mow to shed below and 
this being arranged in center of barn lessens the winter work 
when feeding. The floor of the mow is 7-inch matched house 
flooring so no dust can possibly fall on the sheep below. This 
barn, 80 feet long and 36 feet wide, has hay room sufficiently 
large to hold all rough feed needed during a year for the 300 
sheep which the shed below will hold. In the inside photo 
you will notice ladder in middle of barn going up this feed- 
way down through which the hay etc., comes. The hay 
drops into the alley-way 4 feet wide which you will see 
runs full length of barn. In addition to being a place separate 
from the sheep through which all feed can be carried the 
alley-way is very convenient and clean for visitors to see all 
the sheep. Feed racks are made according to our own 
desires and ideas, being a combined one for both grain and 
hay. The bottom is a board ten inches wide, having a 3-inch 
piece nailed on each side. This bottom will then hold grain 
roots and the like. The upright pieces nailed to this are 
1x4 inches and 18 inches long nailed to a 1x4 top piece run- 
ning lengthwise. That makes a hay-rack 10 inches wide and 
18 inches high which is sufficiently large to hold all hay the 
flock will eat during a night. From experience we have 
learned that it is poor policy to place large quantities of hay 
before sheep. Feed just what will be regularly eaten and then 
the rack can be cleaned for grain. 

If for fleld ewes or rams and they are not fed grain, the 
troughs even then should be cleaned each time before putting 
in fresh hay. 

All wood material used in these racks, and for all other 
inside Avork should be planed smooth so the fleece will not 
be continually roughed up. We have found these to be very 
desirable and serviceable racks and they have been copied 
by many "Clover Hill" visitors. We erect them stationary 
full length of barn on each side of alley-way (or walk- way), 
except where little doors open into each pen. This barn being 
36 feet wide gives us a 16-foot space on each side of the 4-foot 
alley-way. AVe make these trough-racks of the right length 
to extend from the outside wall of barn to the trough next to 
alley-way but do not fasten them so securely but that they 
can be removed so pens can be made any desired size. 
Kegularly we place them crosswise 16 feet apart and that 
makes pens practically 16 feet square. The upright pieces in 
troughs are 10 inches apart so a sheep can get its head in and 
out easily. AVe believe that is the correct space between 

65 



uprights. As there is trough space on three sides of each pen 
it leaves space for about 40 sheep to eat in each pen 16 feet 
square which is as large a number as would be put there for 
shelter. There is a little gate on hinges from each pen to 
the alley-way and that makes easy what sorting or changing 
you might wish to do at any time. 

Tn the outside photo at the end of barn you will notice the 
open door about three feet from the ground. It is at the alley- 
way end and when a wagon is backed up to it the wagon-box 
bottom is just level with barn floor thereby enabling us to 
drive sheep from any pen through the alley-way into the 
wagon without lifting. The barn foundation is of crushed 
rock and cement, 5 feet high, and the earth was not fully 
graded up to this end of barn. To each 16-foot pen there is 
a large door from the outside, also a window. This permits 
the driving of sheep in or out of any pen without disturbing 
the others and is also convenient when hauling the manure 
from each pen. 

During the heat of summer a blind is placed over the 
windows to keep the sun's rays out and both top and bottom 
of door are fastened open and a slat door is placed on the in- 
side. The air must be let right down to the sheep, it being 
far from proper to follow the general practice of opening the 
top doors and keeping the bottom ones closed. The floor of 
hay mow is 8 feet from barn floor, so there is great room for 
fresh air. Sheep need clean dry bedding and plenty of ven- 
tilation. With all these doors and windows and a high ceil- 
ing, it is a model barn for summer. For winter the top doors 
and windows admit ample sunshine. On this side of barn 
at further end upstairs you will see a window and chimney. 
They are from the shepherd's room which is plastered 
painted and fixed up like a house. The stairway from it 
comes to the barn alley-way. The space, 16 feet square, un- 
der his room, instead of being a sheep pen, is his for feed, etc. 

The outside wall of barn is of the best quality of matched 
drop-siding without knots making it practically air-tight. 
The barn when full of sheep can never be completely closed 
without soon becoming too warm. We believe in a tight barn 
and then use windows for ventilators. Cracks between the 
boards are improper ventilators although the way some barns 
are built would indicate that their owners thought cracks were 
just right. When a barn is built with best drop-siding and 
has hay above it can be easily kept warm enough for young 
lambs in nearly any weather. 

We have used these kind of barns at ''Clover Hill" for 
several seasons and have had no reason to even slightly change 
them in anv way. 



67 



The Shepherd's Work 

The shepherd's work is an endless task and whether he 
is owner or hired man his thoughts must be centered on the 
welfare of the flock. If you are the owner and are working 
with the sheep there is no doubt but that you are deeply in- 
terested in the success of the flock but when you hire a shep- 
herd be sure that you get a real one that knows a great deal 
about sheep. Every day in the year there is something to do 
and it must be done well. 

When the ewe flock is sorted in the autumn to be bred to 
certain rams because you believe they will produce the highest 
class lambs from such mating you do not want a man who is 
so careless that the ewes might be bred to any ram just so they 
get with lamb. It is the good shepherd who plans out what 
should be done at all times and then combines perseverance 
with thoughts and brings about everything as planned. 
Numberless flockmasters and shepherds know what should be 
done but that number would be greatly reduced if it were to 
be confined to those who put a large portion of their good 
ideas into practice. There is just as much difference in the 
management of flocks as there is in flocks themselves. Proper 
caring for a good foundation flock leads on to success but it 
doesn't matter how good the foundation may be if they are 
poorly cared for — failure to some extent will be the result. 

The good shepherd is continually thinking about how he 
can improve the flock and surrounding conditions. In this 
way he is also improving himself and his income. Breeding 
and feeding are his two principal studies and they must al- 
ways be combined. In a pure-bred flock he must be conversant 
on all pedigrees of noted rams and ewes and upon the merits 
of the leading flocks. This knowledge will enable him to make 
selections of sires or ewes for flock addition that will probably 
produce lambs of the same high type. This enables you to 
properly found a flock and keep it making rapid progress up- 
ward in quality. 

Sheep properly fed will be fully developed, and the good 
individual well developed is par excellence. To assist nature 
must be your desire and not to work against her. When a 
sheep or any other animal does not receive more than enough 
food each day to simply replace the strength which is expended 
in living and exercise it becomes '"stunted" or is too small 
and lacks bloom. • 



68 



Good feeding does not necessarily mean a heavy allowance 
of fat-producing food such as corn, etc., but in breeding sheep 
it implies plenty of food which will build up muscle and bone 
and tend to growth, not fat. 

Oats, bran, linseed cake, clover hay, etc., have helped 
bring our improved breeds of sheep to their present high stand- 
ard of perfection and will assist us in raising this standard 
still higher. 

Careful methods of breeding give us the proper material 
to work on and good feeding enables us to assist nature in de- 
veloping it fully. If your sheep lack in breeding, the same 
amount of feed will not give you as large returns as it other- 
wise would, and on the other hand it doesn't matter how well 
bred a ram or ewe may be if it isn't properly fed it will never 
be as strictly first-class as it might have been. Therefore we say 
that the shepherd must have a thorough knowledge of the 
best blood of the breed he is caring for and know how to feed 
for full development. 

The flock that is well and properly fed has very few ail- 
ments so when you learn to feed well you have torn out a 
number of pages in your "doctor book." The sheep's system 
which is properly nourished by clean food will rarely get out of 
order and that covers it all. Coarse, half-spoiled old hay and 
ice-cold water in the winter time would nearly give anything 
indigestion, and possibly chronic, too, but that would not be 
good feeding. A barren old pasture or one with stale grass 
and dirty water might not make nice fat lambs in the sum- 
mer, nor you couldn't expect it to. Bred ewes in the winter 
placed in a roomy well- ventilated shed, bedded with clean, dry 
straw, and with a small allowance of oats and bran, and 
well-cured clover and corn-fodder for rough feed will thrive 
well and produce heavy fleeces and a good crop of strong 
lambs. If lambs in the early summer are turned on a patch of 
rape, kale or some good fresh feed they will thrive and be a 
credit to any farm. 

There are always two ways to do a thing, and you want 
to be sure that your sheep are bred, fed and managed in the 
right way. 




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Necessary Precaution in the Lambing Fold 

Should any ewe die abort or strain after lambing she 
should at once be removed to a safe distance and the wood- 
work and pen it occupied must be thoroughly disinfected with 
carbolic acid or other disinfectant, and all the litter, etc., burn- 
ed. It is also wise to have in the lambing fold a tub of live 
lime with an empty tub and shovel alongside. All cleansings 
etc., should at once be placed in the tub and a shovelful of 
fresh lime thrown over it. By this simple process the lambing 
fold is quite free from unpleasant smells and the possibility 
of contagion from unhealthy matter is greatly minimized. 
These may appear, to some, unnecessary measures to adopt but 
those who have noted the disastrous results brought about 
by carelessness will readily see the desira])ility of carrying out 
these suggestions. 

Much of the so-called bad or good luck is usually traceable 
to the treatment the ewes have received during the pregnant 
period and a high rate of mortality amongst ewes and lambs 
is often the result of their lieing kept on cold wet or barren 
soil. 

Assistance in Lambing 

As a general rule it is better not to interfere too soon but 
it is easy to tell when to assist Nature. In all eases where help 
is given, carbolized oil should be freely used on your hands 
and arms before operating, and in bad cases and when a 
ewe has been assisted with decomposing lambs the carbolic 
oil should be poured into the vagina by raising tTie hind legs 
of the ewe and allowing it to flow in. Great care should 
be exercised in such cases and Avhen disease is rampant to 
wash your hands, etc., with carbolic soap after each operation 
and freely use disinfectants, in fact, you should never go from 
a bad case to assist a healthy ewe without taking every pos- 
sible precaution to prevent contagion. All the surroundings 
.such as litter and food of any case where disease was apparent 
should be removed and burned and the pen thoroughly dis- 
infected without delay. A barrel with a hinged lid with some 
nice dry hay in it is a capital place to put a sick or weakly 
laml) in and is really much more effective than placing it near 
a tire. 

For a very weak lamb, a large flat India rubber bag filled 
with hot water is far preferable to tire warmth and has been 
verv successful in saving life. 




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Treatment and Feeding of Ewes and Lambs 

It is important to get the ewes with lambs out of the shed 
pens as soon as possible except in eases where lambs may be 
too weak. Sunshine and fresh air are as essential to their 
growth as food is. Of course the ewes must be fed so they 
will give large quantities of milk. If you will notice the con- 
dition of young lambs in flocks where different methods of 
feeding are practiced you can readily see what proper feeding 
to the ewe does for the lambs. There is marked difference 
when one lot has been fed corn or corn fodder with timothy 
hay and the other fed linseed-cake oats and bran, the lambs 
from the former being weak simply because they have never 
received sufficient nourishment from the dams. The ewes were 
unable to give it to the lambs because their own food did not 
give such nourishment to their bodies. Corn and timothy hay 
do not build bone and flesh, they are fat-producers. Linseed- 
cake oats and bran together with clover hay stimulate the 
milk flow and indirectly produce large vigorous lambs. The 
gain from properly feeding the ewes at this time is so great 
that all breeders should give the subject their careful con- 
sideration. Where rye can be raised sheep breeders are for- 
tunate because a patch of green rye for the ewes and lambs is 
valuable in addition to the dry feed. That food combination 
could hardly be improved upon. The "youngsters" like a 
bite of green stuff' and .soon will be eating quite a little. If 
there is no rye it is well to have a fresh pasture that comes 
up quickly in the spring. This green food assists both ewes 
and lambs in thriving better than if they were confined to 
even the very best of dry feed so it i.s good policy to get them 
all outside as soon as they are strong enough and the weather 
will permit. The lambs can also be pushed on by giving them 
a small amount of grain by themselves each morning and even- 
ing. For this, a "creep" can be made easily and cheap. If the 
flock is being shedded each night a corner of the shed can be 
used for it. A simple creep is made by taking two 1x6 
inch boards and placing them far enough apart to make 
a partition which ewes will not jump over, then nail slats on 
far enough apart so the lambs can go through but the ewes 
cannot. If the flock is placed only in a pen at night a corner 
of the lot could be taken the same as in the shed. Put a little 
trough in there and the lambs soon know what it is meant for. 
Feed to make them grow, not fatten, and when the lambs are 
yet real young it is well if the oats in the ration are crushed. 
If lambs get this grain a liberal amount of milk from their 
dams and some grass or rye you may rest assured that you 
will get the most from your flock. Lambs which have been 
well fed in every way always mature to be much larger strong- 
er, and with heavier fleeces than the others. 

73 



Ear-Marking the Young Lambs 

Some piire-hrcd iioekmasters experience difficulty in keep- 
ing the young lambs properly marked so it can be readily told 
which dams they belong to. Of course some people can tell 
just which lambs belong to different ewes but to depend upon 
that very long after the lambs are born is very uncertain. 
However, the cartilage of a lamb's ear until it is quite well 
grown is not very strong and tags should not be put in the 
ears because sore or improperly formed ears might be the re- 
sult. Therefore, the use of tags for real young lambs is not 
to be recommended nor should anyone depend upon remember- 
ing where every lamb belongs but the safe and sure method 
is to punch small notches in the youngster's ears and then 
the tags can be correctly inserted whenever you are ready. 








The ordinary ear punch is used for this purpose and we here- 
with give an illustration of one system of marks and their 
meaning. If the numbers on your ear tags do not run up very 
high, the same number could be notched in the ear as the 
tag you wished to later insert. If the flock is a large one, 
a note will have to be kept of numbers in order that no mis- 
take will be made. For instance: Suppose this year's lambs 
would be tagged from tag 500. Then the lamb notched 1 
would require tag 500, 2 would rec^uire 501, etc. There would 
be no conflict in starting each year's lamb crop with notch 1 
because in the autumn they would be ear-tagged and there 
would not be anything but lambs Avithout tags. This system 
of notching is also very beneficial when older sheep lose their 
ear tags, because these notches will identify them. Sup- 
pose a three-year-old ewe lost her ear tag, you could get her 
notch number and age and then look up the ear tag number 
of such a notch that year. That would enable you to get cor- 
rect duplicate tag. We believe this system would profit all 
pure-bred breeders and the illustration makes its detail quite 

74 



plain. If you wanted to number a lamb 253, a hole through the 
ear and a lower notch next to the head would be punched in 
the right ear and a notch in the tip of the left ear. These 
marks are lasting and when once you become accustomed to 
the number indicated by each notch, it is a very simple system. 
These small marks do not injure the young lamb's ears and 
it is much better than to insert heavy tags before the ears are 
fully developed. 



Dipping 

As soon as practicable — say when the ewes are shorn and 
before the lam])s are weaned they all should be dipped and 
to entirely keep ticks off the process should be repeated 
in autumn. The object of dipping is to destroy the parasites 
in the fleece, to kill oft' any young insects which may after- 
wards hatch out and to protect the sheep from subsequent 
attacks. 

Experience has taught us that sheep thrive much better 
when their skins are clean and it has been clearly proved that 
a good Dip increases the quantity and improves the quality of 
the wool. It is absolutely impossible for lambs infested with 
ticks or other parasites to thrive properly, owing to the con- 
stant irritation set up. In trying to get relief lambs often 
nibble at the fleece and swallow small portions of wool, with 
fatal results. A good and regular system of dipping the entire 
flock is money well expended. Hence most leading flockmasters 
dip twice in the season, once as indicated, and again in the 
autumn. 

The modes of dipping are various. For small flocks the 
hand-bath is in general use, but the swim-bath is by far the 
best when flocks are large enough for its adoption, as this sys- 
tem gives much less trouble, saves labor and expense, and the 
operation is far more eft'ectual. 

Amongst the various Dips on the market to-day "Hylo 
Dip No. 3" is considered supreme, being most carefully pre- 
pared by The Hylo Company, Marshalltown, Iowa, who are 
qualified men of large experience whose sole aim during the 
last number of years has been to produce a First-Class Dip. 
"Hylo Dip No. 3" is permitted by the United States Depart- 
ment of Agriculture to be used in Official dipping. It is non- 
poisonous, and absolutely the most effective that has ever been 
used at "Clover Hill Farm." 

75 




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Weaning 



Weaning if not conducted with care and with proper 
forethought will often lead to a derangement of the system of 
the lambs. 

In some eases, at a very early period, the lambs are sepa- 
rated from their mothers and at once placed on an old pasture, 
which is perhaps burned up and totally unsuitable to the tender 
stomachs of the lambs. The sudden transition from the milk 
of the ewe to the dry summer food is beyond the power of their 
digestive system. The new food is not properly assimilated, 
consequently general derangement of the stomach and system 
immediately follows. 

To prevent these evil results, the food supplied at weaning 
time should be of a highly nutritious quality such as can 
be easily assimilated and if the weather is hot and dry a 
plentiful supply of clean water should at all times be avail- 
able. 

The date of weaning depends on the locality and the 
breeder must be guided by circumstances. Early weaning is 
in most cases to be recommended for the following reasons : 
Keep is plentiful at this season, and this affords an oppor- 
tunity of giving the lambs the best pastures and putting all 
the ewes into one field instead of being all about the farm 
robbing the lambs. In some districts weaning is so late that 
aftermath clovers are available but in the majority of cases 
this will not be so, and if rape, or other green crop be to hand, 
so much the better as the oljject is to minimize the loss of the 
milk as much as possible. A little grain should be given but 
it must not be of a heating nature, probably nothing surpasses 
extra good crushed oats with bran and oilmeal. The lambs 
should as soon as rape can be got be put on the arable 
land and pushed forward in a healthy natural way avoiding 
an undue proportion of artificial food. As the harvest is cleared 
the aftermath clovers afford a good change for the lambs. 
Close folding if possible should be avoided as it tends to fat- 
ten and not to develop muscle and strength which should be 
the object in a breeding flock. By this is meant that the 
hurdles should not follow close upon the lambs but that they 
should be allowed to roam at large over the field. 

The experience of breeders during the last decade seems 
to point to keeping the lambs from the period of weaning right 
through the autumn on arable lands eating a variety of green 
foods — turnips and young clovers and not on old pastures. 

77 




"CLOVER HILL ENGLISH QUEEN" A. S. A 23472'> 



To carry this out the breeder must exercise a little fore- 
thought and arrange for a succession of kale, rape and other 
suitable foods. This can be easily done by planting so much 
winter rye in the autumn, following up with early cabbage, 
planted in March or April according to the weather, the 
drilling of the early Enfield cabbage at intervals during the 
spring and summer months assisted Avith white turnips rape 
and kale in suitable quantities. A large flock can be kept in 
this manner. 



Noting the Ewes Which are Best Breeders 

The lambs from each ewe should be carefully noted so that 
when the sorting comes (usually June or July) it can be seen 
which ewes are breeding satisfactorily, and what class of ram 
suits them best, because possibly some of the most promising 
lambs may be the offspring of ewes that would otherwise be 
discarded. In a pure-bred flock, a regular system of sorting 
at a certain age cannot be followed with advantage, for in 
some cases it is wise to keep a ewe — a good ram breeder — as 
long as she will continue to breed, while others which produce 
nothing good as yearlings or two-year-olds may safely be put 
aside. 

At the same time the breeder should try to continue a 
plan which keeps the flock from degenerating into a lot of old 
ewes. 

As to the number of ewes which should be selected annual- 
ly, one must be guided by circumstances. Should the young 
ewes be exceptionally good and by one or more sires which you 
have a high opinion of it will be wise to draw for the breed- 
ing flock more largely than usual. If on the other hand 
the yearling ewes are not to your liking it may be well to add 
none to the breeding flock but dispose of all the young ewes. 
These matters must be left to the judgment of the breeder 
but all such details are of great importance and whether they 
receive due attention or not means success or failure. 

As before stated it is sound policy to manage the flock 
so it will not deteriorate into a lot of old worn out ewes, 
and with due care this can be avoided. A well-bred and good 
young flock must always have a far higher value than one in 
which several of its members have passed the prime. 



The three C's in the clover-leaf represent Chandler Clover 
Hill Chariton. The distinct quality that Shropshires have which 
come from Chandler "Clover Hill" Chariton is widely known 



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